DÜNDAR: ORNAMENTAL PLANTS PRODUCTION VALUE IS ABOUT 6 BILLION LIRAS

Ahmet Dündar, Chairman of the Ornamental Plants Producers Sub-Union (SÜSBİR), said that 33 percent increase in the exports of trees and shrubs to EU countries was achieved in 2018.

Dündar said: "Our tree and shrub exports to the EU accounted for 45 percent of our total exports last year. There is an increase in the export of trees and shrubs."

Dündar, answered questions of AA correspondent about the ornamental plants sector.

Stating that the number of members of the union reached 750, unions and cooperatives under the umbrella of SÜSBİR included consist of 5 thousand producers overall.

Dündar, who draws attention to the labor-intensive structure of the ornamental plants sector, noted that direct employment, which is mostly made up of women, is at the level of 78 thousand and indirect employment is at the level of 500 thousand.

2018 ornamental plants production value is approximately 5.5-6 billion TL...

Dündar expressing that they aim to increase the exports of ornamental plants sector and said, "Last year, the export of our sector was around 71.2 million dollars. The data for the first four months of 2019 indicate that we kept up the pace of our exports but imports decreased by 45 percent. Currently, 6 percent of the sector's production is sent to the foreign market. 94 percent of it is consumed in the domestic market."

"Turkey's most exports of ornamental plants go to European countries. Particularly Netherlands and UK import cut flowers from Turkey. In the live plants chapter most export was made to Uzbekistan in 2018. On the other hand the export of wood and bushes to EU countries increased by 33 percent last year. Our tree and shrub exports to the EU accounted for 45 percent of our total exports last year and this year we have increased our exports of trees and shrubs. As a result we are aiming to improve this further with our promotion activities. Besides The Netherlands, Germany and Italy stand out as target markets" Dündar concluded...