TURKISH AGRI.NEWS

Growing on the shores of Karakaya Dam Lake in Baskil district of Elazığ, fresh apricots, which are in high demand from the exporting companies with their distinct aroma and taste, increased the export share by 100 percent compared to last year and made producers happy. Apricot varieties such as Hacıhaliloğlu, Hasanbey, Çataloğlu, and Kabaaşı that are specially grown on the shores of Karakaya Dam Lake in Baskil, a district which meets some 13 percent of Turkey's apricot production, are receiving more and more demand from exporters each year thanks to their unique aroma, taste and consistency. Fresh apricot varieties grown in the district, where fresh apricot exports increased by 100 percent this year, it was around 12 thousand tons last year, are exported to EU countries, Ukraine, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea. Exporters hire seasonal workers to gather the fresh apricots and transport them to factories in Malatya, a province in eastern Anatoli

Hazelnut Agricultural Sales Cooperatives Union (FİSKOBİRLİK) Chairman Lütfi Bayraktar said that hazelnut price has been announced early and the state has decided to intervene in the market on behalf of producers... Pointing out that all the actors in the market will take a position according to this attitude of the state regarding hazelnuts, "Maybe some sectoral representatives were thinking of a higher price but when considering the price of nuts compared to previous years is I would say quite well" he noted. "We will have some contacts involving of FİSKOBİRLİK in the intervener purchasing process, as a matter of fact producers have such an expectation. In the sense of regulating the market such a decision will reflect more positively on the market. Hopefully we will have such an initiative" Bayraktar noted. Explaining that there may be some differences between TMO (Turkish Grain Board) price and free market price, Bayraktar concluded: "This difference

Press release... July 2019 Turkey's first children's cheese enriched with vitamin D from Muratbey... Kids with Misto will be the cheese monster... Innovative products that add flavor to the table with Muratbey, the first cheese enriched with vitamin D which Turkey makes a difference to children with special developed Misto. Prepared with cute shapes such as dinosaur, dolphin, penguin, cat, duck and rabbit, Misto meets the daily need of vitamin D by 100 percent. Misto; indispensable of children, mothers who want to make their children love cheese will be the biggest helper. Muratbey, which stands out with its innovative works, supports the healthy development of children with its new cheese Misto. Misto, which meets the daily required vitamins and minerals at a high rate, has 650 mg calcium, 16.50 g protein and 5 mcg vitamin D in 100 grams. Muratbey makes cheese a delicious, fun and healthy snack for children. With Misto, the form and flavor of different animals, t

Press release... Export journey of flavour store fresh black figs began on 29th of July... Stating that the high quality and yield of fresh black figs in this year, Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association Chairman Hayrettin Uçak said: "We have a target of exceeding 50 million dollars this year which was 39 million dollars in 2018 in terms of fresh black figs." Uçak pointed out that fresh black fig, one of the rarest fruits grown in Anatolian lands, has come out one of the high value added export products and added, "Thanks to air cargo, fresh black fig has become even more value-added. We aim to reach over 3 dollars in fresh black figs of which an average export price of 2.50 dollars currently." Turkey, in 2018, made an export of fresh black figs to 40 countries and obtained 35 million dollars. Germany took the first place by 14 million dollars while Britain followed this country by 3.7 million and the Netherlands by 3.5 million dollars. W

Pakdemirli: We will not victimize seedless raisin producers in 2019/20 season All parties of seedless raisin of which is Turkey the world leader, farmers, traders and exporters came together with Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Bekir Pakdemirli at the Aegean Exporters Association in Izmir. Producers want 10 TL for grapes... Speaking at the meeting, representatives of Chambers of Agriculture expressed the producer's expectation of raisin prices for the 2019/20 season as 10 TL. Celep: Let TMO purchase 20 thousand tons of grapes, Turkey's exports increase 80 million dollars Birol Celep, Chairman of the Board of Aegean Dried Fruit and Products Exporters' Association, said: "10 TL price expectation of producers is reasonable. What we demand from TMO (Turkish Grain Board) to purchase 20 thousand tons of raisins in order not to go below this price level. We have just delivered this demand to Bekir Pakdemirli and TMO General Manager Ahmet Güldal." S

Turkey Beekeepers Association (TAB) Chairman Ziya Şahin: Honey producers should be protected Turkey Beekeepers Association Chairman Ziya Şahin said that they demanded from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to distinguish natural honey producers and unregistered ones, thus real honey producers might be protected. Şahin said: "Honey producers who keep their lives away from families for 8 months in a year should be supported. Producers have such a demand from the Ministry, so they'd rather work on this issue." Şahin stated: ""In the current year, effects of bottleneck in the economy, felt in all sectors including beekeeping sector. While 80 percent of our beekeepers do this by transporting bees from region to region. At the same time we supply honey, pollen and royal jelly to our consumers as the main agricultural task. The sector contributes to pollination due to biological richness, as well as providing biological richness to the whole universe as

Turkish Guild of Agricultural Journalists (TGAJ) has made a call for holding an international Forum in coordination with IFAJ (International Federation of Agricultural Journalists) particularly addressing to Eurasian and Balkan countries agricultural journalists... Dear colleagues... Turkish Guild of Agricultural Journalists (TGAJ) is organizing the Eurasian and Balkan Countries Agricultural Journalists Forum between 04 - 08 November 2019 in Antalya. This event will be held in coordination with IFAJ as usual. All expenses (accommodations, meals and transfers) excluding air fares will be covered by host organization, Growtech 19. International Greenhouse, Agricultural Technology and Livestock Equipment Fair (to be held 27 - 30 November 2019 in Antalya). The programme will comprise three full days and four nights (04 November Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights). That means 04 November (Monday) arriving and 08 November (Friday) leaving days. On the first day (

Creadev, a global long-term investment firm wholly funded by the Mulliez family, has announced a secondary investment of USD 5 million in Twiga Foods, a Kenyan-based technology based B2B platform that aggregates retail demand and efficiently provides low cost access to better quality food. As part of this secondary transaction, early investors, Adolf H. Lundin Charitable Foundation, Blue Haven Ventures, Crescat Limited, Omidyar Networks, Index Ventures through Project Hand Purpose Trust, and Uqalo, have partially sold their stake as part of a strategy to accommodate later stage and longer-term investors. Founded in 2014, Twiga Foods leverages on its technology to aggregate the requirements of the informal retailers through its m-commerce platform and leveraging this to efficiently source produce directly from farmers and food manufacturers. By doing so, Twiga has created a more transparent and efficient supply chain, delivering the product directly to the retailers and reducing p

This article cited from FreshTurkey Magazine... First of all, let's start to write with an interesting news. There is a following clause in the analysis made by the Union of Agricultural Chambers of Turkey (TZOB): "Turkey where ranks number 1 in the world production of quince, lost the first place in exports to the Netherlands. Although it does not produce any quince, the Netherlands took the first place in 4 years out of 5 by exporting quince by packing and providing attraction to this product imported from various countries including Turkey and also using the marketin channels effectively." AGRICULTURAL LOGISTICS - In fact words express everything in a very meaningful way. So it is not only enough to produce anymore. Especially it is essential to use marketing and distribution channels in a very rational and efficient way. In this context the concept of 'agricultural logistics' keep increasing its importance day by day. In particular logistic applications

Approximately 20 thousand tons of tomatoes produced every year in Iğdır (An Eastern Anatolian province situated on Armenia border) are offered for sale in the provinces of Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia. Due to its micro climate and geographical conditions, many products can be grown in Iğdır region, as well as other types of vegetables and fruits, tomatoes are produced intensively. Tomatoes, planted in thousands of decares of fields, attract high demand across Turkey but especially in the eastern provinces. Iğdır tomato, which attracts attention with its authentetic aroma, meets the needs of many provinces in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia, particularly in Ağrı, Kars, Ardahan, Erzurum and Van. Stating that tomato production increases constantly in the region, Iğdır Agriculture and Forestry Manager Özkan Yolcu said: "The plain where the province is located has very fertile soils. So we are harvesting different products from May to autumn months. Currently harvestin

Turkey Milk, Meat, Food Industrialists and Producers Association (SETBİR) Chairman Tarık Tezel said that suggesting to boil the milk in a pot means ‘endangering human life'. Stating that raw milk contains hazards that disrupt the health of people and cause diseases, Tarık Tezel said: "The way to get rid of the disease-causing bacteria in raw milk has been clear since 1862, called pasteurization. French scientist Louis Pasteur invented this method for 157 years to protect people from deadly diseases that can be transmitted from raw milk. It should not be forgotten that boiling in a pot at home does not pasteurize raw milk and does not purify the bacteria causing disease. Claiming that means putting human life into danger. As a matter of fact this is a crime in our country and also across the world." “UHT would be banned if it were harmful” Pointing out that in dairy industry, in addition to pasteurization, other heat treatment technologies, especially UHT, are also

"Divle Obruk (Pothole) Cheese", known as "Turkish Roquefort" produced in Ayrancı county of Karaman province of Central Anatolia began to ripen in the cave under the ground about to decorate tables in autumn months... Not only in Turkey but also considered one of the world's most delicious cheeses, Divle Obruk Cheese, has been produced with the same method for hundreds of years in Ayrancı county. The village of Üçharman, formerly known as the Divle, dates back 3,000 years. There are ruins from every period of history throughout the village. The cheese obtained from the milk of sheep and goats grown in the natural environment also has an important role in the name of the village. Divle Obruk Cheese which is called as Turkish Roquefort, differs from all cheeses in its construction and storage. Due to these characteristics, cheese was entitled to receive geographical sign certificate last year. Divle Obruk Cheese, which has been prepared at the

The following is a joint press release from the United Nations Global Compact, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and the We Mean Business coalition. Ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit, companies commit to set 1.5°C climate targets aligned with a net-zero future, challenging Governments to match their ambition UNITED NATIONS, New York, 23 July 2019... Twenty-eight companies with a total market capitalization of $1.3 trillion are stepping up to set a new level of climate ambition in response to a call-to-action campaign ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit on 23 September. The companies have committed themselves to more ambitious climate targets aligned with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and reaching net-zero emissions by no later than 2050. First movers include Acciona, AstraZeneca, Banka BioLoo, BT, Dalmia Cement Ltd., Eco-Steel Africa Ltd., Enel, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Iberdrola, KLP, Levi Strauss & Co., Mahindra Gr

Turkey Specialized Products Exchange (TÜRİB) Operating Permit Document Delivery Ceremony was held with the participations of Minister of Trade Ruhsar Pekcan, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Dr. Bekir Pakdemirli and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu.​ In his speech at the ceremony, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized that globalization and drastic changes in technology affect every aspect of life. “In the US today, many factors such as the type of agricultural products planted in China, the amount and the timing of cultivation affect the price of food at the table. For this reason, we need to increase the efficiency of agricultural markets and have a developed agricultural market. To the north are Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, some of the world's largest grain exporters. In the south, the Middle East and the Gulf countries are among the largest grain and food importing countries.” Hisarcıklıoğlu said, usi

Press release... Turkey Specialized Products Exchange (TURİB) Operating Permit Document Delivery Ceremony was performed on 24the of July in Ankara... Minister of Trade Ruhsar Pekcan, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Dr. Bekir Pakdemirli and The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu attended the Ceremony. The ceremony was also attended by Barış Kocagöz, the Assembly President of İzmir Commodity Exchange (İTB). Barış Kocagöz, representing İzmir Commodity Exchange which is an authorized agency and partner of TÜRİB said: “This new formation is the last and most beautiful step of the modern marketing system that started with licensed warehousing in agriculture. We are very happy to be able to reach these points." Kocagöz stated: "Established under the leadership of İTB to produce cotton storage and electronic product certificates (ELÜS) in licensed warehousing for the first time in our country together with İzmir Com

July 26, 2019 Meat and Milk Institution (ESK) increased meat purchase prices by 2 liras... Meat and Milk Institution raised 2 liras per kg on purchasing prices of cattle carcass meat. Accordingly the purchase price of imported animals marked up to 31 liras from 29 liras per kg and for domestic animals to 32 liras from 30. Cattle and meat prices were updated by the ESK, while prices of carcass meat were increased in all yield groups. Thus purchase prices of cattle carcass meat was increased by 2 liras per kg. It was reported that ESK while taken this decision, it took into consideration both the developments in costs and the demand of the producer. "DOESN'T REFLECT OUR EXPECTATIONS" Turkey Red Meat Producers Association (TÜKETBİR) Chairman Bülent Tunç declared that they feel happy although 2 liras increase doesn't reflect their expectations. Tunç said: "Producers want to sell their animals for slaughtering as soon as possible. Stating that they d

CEMA (European Agricultural Machinery Association) Business Barometer Results of June... According to the results of the sectoral Business Barometer survey held in June conducted by the CEMA on a monthly basis, the overall business environment in Europe remains negative. As in 2012, the business index continued to decline sharply and for the first time since January 2017, the index fell to the negative section of the band and reached -11. According to the survey which was answered by 140 senior executives in 9 of CEMA member countries, all segments except lawn and horticultural equipment and public procurement in Europe started to be affected by the contraction and the pessimism in the expectations for order purchase in the next six months and the negative picture of the current business environment level stated that it has reached such high levels for the first time since 2016. Evaluations within the scope of the survey pointed out that despite the high volumes from past ord

Press release... "We are 11 years ahead of the US, 13 years of Canada and 14 years of the EU" Turkey has become a leading country in the world with trans fat-free period that started 12 years ago. Turkey has scored a success story by eliminating trans fats in food, thus set an example in this field which has been on the world agenda. Along with voluntary implementation of Culinary Products and Margarine Industrialists Association (MÜMSAD) member companies, level of trans fat in margarine has been under 1 percent for 12 years in Turkey, which is accepted as 'no' by international scientists.      Turkey, with the application of this voluntary practise, has managed to succeed taking place ahead of USA, Canada and EU by having achieved the 2023 target of World Health Organization (WHO) without waiting for legal procedures. Turkey is ahead of many countries in the world... The trans free period on a federal basis will begin in August 2018 in the United Stat

July 25, 2019 Turkey's waste bill amounts to 555 billion liras! Everyday 6 million breads go to landfills! Balance sheet of waste unveiled in Turkey. It reaches 15 percent of GDP! A new report prepared by Turkey Waste Prevention Foundation (TİSVA) reveals that 15 percent of national income is wasted. Wastage of energy, fruit-vegetables, bread and water reaches such dimensions that the loss of national income makes up 555 billion liras. 214 billion liras of food waste! Every day 6 million breads are trashed! 35 liras of every 100 liras electricity bill can be saved. One of the biggest wastage items is energy. According to the report, every 100 liras electricity bill has a potential of saving 35 liras. Turkey's total energy saving potential has been identified as 25 percent. In fact, if waste is prevented only in housing this would mean a considerable saving. Namely, the share of lighting in the total electrical energy consumed in Turkey is given as 25 perce

Eren Günhan Ulusoy, Chairman of Turkish Flour Industrialists Association, said that Turkey needs 12 million tons of licensed warehouse for grain... In Turkey, underlining that young people don't want to be involved in agriculture, Ulusoy said, "The average age of citizens engaged in agriculture around 50, more than 20 years on average. So they have limited access to information and not open to innovation." "Divided lands by inheritance falls down yields and the reduction of income leads people not to invest in technology, thus farmers lean to traditional methods" Ulusoy noted. Stating that farmers being helpless against merchants and industrialists because of their warehouse and financial difficulties, Ulusoy unveiled, "There is a simple model for this in the grain market.  Farmers can put their products in a licensed warehouse, get an electronic product certificate in return of this and then apply to a bank for credits while gaining power of long t

HPA (Hydropolitics Academy) delegation met Iraq’s former Minister of Water Resources and Current Ambassador of Ankara Dr. Hassan Al-Janabi. 24 July 2019... July 24, 2019 HPA Director Dursun Yıldız and Head of the HPA International Relations Center Hamza Ozgüler met Dr. Al Janabi Iraqi Ambassador to Ankara on July 24, 2019 . Dursun Yıldız was invited by the former minister of water resources and current Iraqi Ambassador to Ankara Dr. Al-Janabi. The meeting was held at the Embassy of Iraq in Ankara At the beginning of the meeting, HPA Director Dursun Yıldız expressed his thanks for the invitation and his wishes for success due to his appointment to Ankara Embassy. He also thanked warm welcome, stressing the need to develop bilateral relations between Baghdad and Ankara in all fields. Dr. Al-Janabi stated that they were speakers with HPA Director Dursun Yıldız at the conference entitled Mesopotamia and Climate Change for Peace in Mesopotamia organized by

Russia’s Great Investment in Genetics and Breeding Posted by Nazimi Acikgoz on 23/06/2019 In an unexpected period, Russia announced that it has allocated a large amount of new breeding technologies [1] . According to information from the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), the targets of this US $ 1.7 billion investment of have been set to develop 10 new varieties of gene-edited crops and animals by 2020 and another set of 20 gene-edited varieties by 2027. The main aim of the project is to develop new varieties resistant to diseases in culture plants such as barley, sugar beet, wheat and  potato. Mutation, selection, hybridization and similar classical breeding techniques have been used for breeding new genotypes that are adaptable to varying environmental conditions. Recently tissue culture, gene transfer and other molecular biologic developments have been also used. But in the last decades artificial mutations by using -X, gamma and similar radioactive rays- have served t