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Turkey aims to set up global apricot council
Sunday, March 28, 2010
BETÃ`L Ã?AL
ANTALYA - Hürriyet Daily News
The supplier of 80 percent of the world's apricot production for an
annual revenue of more than $250 million, Turkey aims to establish a
World Apricot Council and an accreditation center to boost the
sector's credibility and awareness. The goal is to raise the value of
the product, according to sector players, who urge the government to
support investments in high-tech processing facilities
FRUIT: Cultivated mainly in various countries with a Mediterranean
climate, apricots flourish in the eastern Turkish city of Malatya due
to its rich soil and favorable weather conditions. Hürriyet photo
Turkey leads the world's fresh and dry apricot market with the highest
production figures in many years, but sector representatives say
revenue is lagging behind expectations due to a lack of credibility
and awareness.
Aiming to fortify its position in the market and create higher added
value, Turkey is seeking to establish and host a World Apricot Council
with the authority to set trends, boosting the country's prestige
abroad.
Apricots are cultivated mainly in various countries with a
Mediterranean climate; they flourish in the eastern Turkish city of
Malatya due to its rich soil and favorable weather conditions. In
2009, the city, which supplies around 80 percent of the world's
apricot production annually, obtained an export revenue of $276.2
million.
The amount of dry apricot processed by members of the Malatya Chamber
of Trade exceeded 200,000 tons in the same year for a value of 750
million Turkish Liras.
According to 2008 data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, or
TurkStat, Turkey produces 720,000 tons of apricot production on a
total area of 1 billion square meters. Its exports surpass those of
archrivals Spain, Italy, Iran, France and the United States.
Mehmet Å?ahin, the Malatya deputy from the ruling Justice and
Development Party, or AKP, said in a recent speech that the global
apricot market amounts to $2.5 billion per annum, adding that Turkey
should definitely grab a higher percentage of this pie.
In order to fulfill the sector aim of increasing annual apricot export
revenue to $1 billion in the near future, Å?ahin said, it is crucial to
take steps to raise the product's value internationally. The formation
of a global council, he added, is one of these steps.
Accreditation center in Malatya
Noting that Malatya's renowned apricot is not protected by laws or an
international accreditation center, sector authorities said the fruit
is undervalued.
İbrahim Bozkır, the owner of an apricot-exporting firm in Malatya,
said his company exports apricots at $2 to $3 per kilo, but retailers
abroad sell 200 to 300 grams for at least at $10.
This represents a loss of labor for the Turkish farmer and a loss of
currency and prestige for Turkey, Bozkır said, adding that it is
imperative to build a global apricot center in Turkey, with an
accreditation center in Malatya.
`It will give more professionalism and credibility to Turkey's apricot
sector,' he said.
The high sales prices of apricots in other countries is mainly
attributed to packaging expenditures. International importers tend to
buy raw apricot, either fresh or dry, process it in their facilities,
package it according to their own standards and sell it to consumers,
adding the cost of each stage to the final price.
Nejat BalmanoÄ?lu, an apricot exporter in Malatya, said Turkish
producers need high-technology apricot processing and packaging
centers.
`Fully processing this strategic product at home according to the
needs of the customer and exporting it in its final form abroad will
definitely give added value to Turkey,' he said. `As we send the raw
product abroad and let somebody else process it instead of us, we
actually are creating rivals. Also, when the intermediaries rise in
number, it directly reflects on the price.'
The government should support investments in modern facilities and
open up the path for producers and exporters, BalmanoÄ?lu said.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
BETÃ`L Ã?AL
ANTALYA - Hürriyet Daily News
The supplier of 80 percent of the world's apricot production for an
annual revenue of more than $250 million, Turkey aims to establish a
World Apricot Council and an accreditation center to boost the
sector's credibility and awareness. The goal is to raise the value of
the product, according to sector players, who urge the government to
support investments in high-tech processing facilities
FRUIT: Cultivated mainly in various countries with a Mediterranean
climate, apricots flourish in the eastern Turkish city of Malatya due
to its rich soil and favorable weather conditions. Hürriyet photo
Turkey leads the world's fresh and dry apricot market with the highest
production figures in many years, but sector representatives say
revenue is lagging behind expectations due to a lack of credibility
and awareness.
Aiming to fortify its position in the market and create higher added
value, Turkey is seeking to establish and host a World Apricot Council
with the authority to set trends, boosting the country's prestige
abroad.
Apricots are cultivated mainly in various countries with a
Mediterranean climate; they flourish in the eastern Turkish city of
Malatya due to its rich soil and favorable weather conditions. In
2009, the city, which supplies around 80 percent of the world's
apricot production annually, obtained an export revenue of $276.2
million.
The amount of dry apricot processed by members of the Malatya Chamber
of Trade exceeded 200,000 tons in the same year for a value of 750
million Turkish Liras.
According to 2008 data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, or
TurkStat, Turkey produces 720,000 tons of apricot production on a
total area of 1 billion square meters. Its exports surpass those of
archrivals Spain, Italy, Iran, France and the United States.
Mehmet Å?ahin, the Malatya deputy from the ruling Justice and
Development Party, or AKP, said in a recent speech that the global
apricot market amounts to $2.5 billion per annum, adding that Turkey
should definitely grab a higher percentage of this pie.
In order to fulfill the sector aim of increasing annual apricot export
revenue to $1 billion in the near future, Å?ahin said, it is crucial to
take steps to raise the product's value internationally. The formation
of a global council, he added, is one of these steps.
Accreditation center in Malatya
Noting that Malatya's renowned apricot is not protected by laws or an
international accreditation center, sector authorities said the fruit
is undervalued.
İbrahim Bozkır, the owner of an apricot-exporting firm in Malatya,
said his company exports apricots at $2 to $3 per kilo, but retailers
abroad sell 200 to 300 grams for at least at $10.
This represents a loss of labor for the Turkish farmer and a loss of
currency and prestige for Turkey, Bozkır said, adding that it is
imperative to build a global apricot center in Turkey, with an
accreditation center in Malatya.
`It will give more professionalism and credibility to Turkey's apricot
sector,' he said.
The high sales prices of apricots in other countries is mainly
attributed to packaging expenditures. International importers tend to
buy raw apricot, either fresh or dry, process it in their facilities,
package it according to their own standards and sell it to consumers,
adding the cost of each stage to the final price.
Nejat BalmanoÄ?lu, an apricot exporter in Malatya, said Turkish
producers need high-technology apricot processing and packaging
centers.
`Fully processing this strategic product at home according to the
needs of the customer and exporting it in its final form abroad will
definitely give added value to Turkey,' he said. `As we send the raw
product abroad and let somebody else process it instead of us, we
actually are creating rivals. Also, when the intermediaries rise in
number, it directly reflects on the price.'
The government should support investments in modern facilities and
open up the path for producers and exporters, BalmanoÄ?lu said.