TURKISH AGRI.NEWS

Hazelnut exports from Turkey to China have seen a growing trend, more than doubling in revenue in only five years, with an export volume of over $87.1 million in 2019, according to data from the Black Sea Hazelnut and Hazelnut Products Exporters' Association (KFMİB). Dursun Oğuz Gürsoy, acting chairman of the association, told Anadolu Agency (AA) Wednesday that exports to the East Asian country have reached record levels, and if this growing demand continues, China will become one of the top three countries that import hazelnuts worldwide. Hazelnut exports to China totaled around 11.2 tons worth over $87.1 million in 2019, up from the 3.5 tons worth $42.5 recorded five years earlier, according to the AA report that included the KFMİB data. Turkey's biggest market for hazelnut exports is Europe, yet recently China, among others, has become an important opportunity for expansion thanks to advertising and promotional activities in the country since 2001. Those efforts have starte

Turkey's retail food and drink industry reached a worth of TL 110 billion in 2019, according to the chairman of the Turkish Restaurant and Entertainment Association (TURYİD). "Annual growth for 2019 was just below $19 billion," Kaya Demirer said at the Tourism Investors Forum 2020 (TIF 2020) in Istanbul. Supported by the Presidency Investment Office, TIF 2020 hosted a panel called "New Creative Economy and Investment Opportunities of Gastronomy Tourism." Demirer was one of the guest speakers at the panel. Demirer remarked that Turkey has a solid stance compared to other countries. He said the food and drink industry is worth $900 billion in the U.S., $120 billion in the U.K., $100 billion in Italy and $53 billion in Spain. Demirer is also confident about the industry's capacity to create jobs. "The food and drink industry might be the ultimate solution to low employment rates in Turkey," he said, adding that Turkey's young population is employ

Turkey's cut flower producers are ready for Valentine's Day with 2 million orchids ready for sale. Orchids are the most commonly preferred potted plant for Feb. 14 and this year's number is a slight increase compared to previous years. The total production of cut flowers and ornamental plants increased 0.4% in 2019, totaling 1.7 billion pieces, according to an Anadolu Agency (AA) report that included data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). According to the data, cut flowers constituted some 63.6% of total production last year, increasing by 3.6% and reaching 1.09 billion pieces. Ornamental plant production, on the other hand, has dropped by 4.8% compared to the previous year and decreased to 624.7 million pieces. Among those, 1.9 million orchids were produced for Valentine's Day alone, with this year's numbers expected to be around 2 million. The number of orchids sold annually in the country is approximately 6 million pieces. Ahmet Korhan Çiçek,

Turkey's tomato exports to the Russian Federation saw a 186% increase in 2019, compared with the previous year, reaching $86.05 million in value. According to the Southeastern Anatolia Exporters' Association (GAİB), the country's overall tomato exports totaled around $304.5 million in 2019, with exports to 56 countries around the world recorded at $291.8 million in 2018. Russia ranked first among countries to which Turkish exporters sent tomatoes, with a total of $86.05 million in revenue, increasing from $30.6 million in 2018. Romania and Ukraine followed with export volumes worth $36.4 million and $30.01 million, respectively. Greenhouse Investors and Producers Association (SERA-BİR) and GAP Greenhouse Gardeners Association Chairman Müslüm Yanmaz told Anadolu Agency that 2019 saw a decline in crop volume due to seasonal conditions, which did not reflect negatively on exports. Yanmaz said that exporters sought to bring the tomato export volume to the levels prior to a dip

Turkey's ornamental plants industry is seeking access to new export markets, as an alternative to contracted domestic market, the head of a sector union sector union told Anadolu Agency. Prominent Turkish companies operating in ornamental plants participated in world's leading horticultural exhibition held in Germany this week, the chairman of Ornamental Plants Growers Union Ahmet Dündar said. "IPM Essen Fair is an important opportunity for directing our producers towards export markets as an alternative to the domestic market," Dündar noted. The sector aims $100-million export volume annually, he stressed. According to Turkish Statistical Institute data, cut flowers and ornamental plants sector's production reached to 1.7 billion pieces in 2019, up 0.4% year-on-year. By Mustafa Çalkaya Writing by Tuba Şahin www.aa.com.tr

Turkey's main flour exports reached their limits in 2019, with the potential for income from exports in the sector to be doubled through the selling of industrial flour products, such as biscuits and frozen dough, according to the director of the International Association of Operative Millers (IAOM) Eurasia, Last year, the country's flour exports rose to $1.05 billion from $1 billion in the previous year in terms of value, while exports dropped by around 50,000 tons to 3.3 million tons on a quantity-basis, Eren Günhan Ulusoy told Anadolu Agency (AA) Sunday. The country is the largest flour exporter and the second-largest pasta exporter in the world, said Ulusoy, who is also the head of the Turkish Flour Industrialists' Federation (TFIF). The price of flour per kilogram in exports reached $322 in 2019, from $304 in the previous year, he said. While there was a decrease in flour exports to Iraq – from 1.62 million tons to 1.36 million tons year-on-year in 2019 – Yemen and V

The Flower and Plant Show 2020 will open its doors at Tüyap from 12-14 November, 2020. Contact us now to take your place amongst the leaders of the Ornamental Horticulture and Landscaping sector and benefit from the numerous trade opportunities offered by this important event! MAKING CONNECTIONS... Many buyers from around the world will visit the The Flower and Plant Show 2020 as part of the Hosted Buyer Program. WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2020... The Flower and Plant Show 2020, which will take place on November 12-14 in Istanbul, is preparing to bring together thousands of domestic and overseas buyers and leading companies in the industry.

Hannah Jackson was helping a farmer get his sheep ready for a country show, when he told her to let "the lads down the road" groom the rams because they were "far too strong" for her. The 27-year-old did not listen. "I went into the pen where there were these big male sheep, flipped one on its bum and started filing its feet," she says. "I'd stand shoulder-to-shoulder with any man." More and more women like Hannah, who now runs her own farm, are entering the male-dominated UK agriculture industry. About 17% of farmers are female, up from 7% in 2007-8, according to last year's Office for National Statistics' annual population survey . Hannah, who grew up in Wirral, near Liverpool, did not consider farming as a career until she witnessed a lamb being born while walking in the Lake District, aged 20. "I'd never seen anything like it," she says. "To watch the natural instincts of the lamb kicking and how wel

Have you ever thought of apricots as something that could help cure cancer? Well, according to the latest studies conducted in Malatya Turgut Özal University in eastern Turkey's Malatya province, you should. The study, led by the rector of Turgut Özal University, Dr. Aysun Bay Karabulut, claims that apricot kernels could help in the treatment of some diseases, including cancer. According to the study, bitter apricot kernels could kill cancer cells while helping to renew healthy cells, giving hope to millions of cancer patients all around the globe. Stating that the university launched the research a few years ago, Karabulut said that they started the production of food supplements with a prebiotic apricot extract named "Kayısır" with a patent issued by the Turkish Patent Institute. Karabulut said that during the production process the kernels go through extensive detoxification. "As you know, people can perceive this differently considering that the substan

Turkey exported honey to 45 different countries in 2019, including Germany, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman. Turkey earned revenues of $24.8 million from its honey exports, which reached 5,548 tons last year according to data compiled by Anadolu Agency from the Eastern Black Sea Exporters Association (DKİB). Germany was the top market for Turkish honey with $8.8 million, followed by the U.S. with $4.3 million, Saudi Arabia with $3 million, Kuwait with $1.5 million and Oman with $775,261. Ahmet Hamdi Gürdoğan, deputy head of the exporters' group, pointed out the increasing demand for Turkish honey abroad. "Our honey exports improved year by year, thanks to brand and geographical sign registrations," he said. www.aa.com.tr

Local growers shipped 4,000 tons of tea to 110 countries last year to generate $15.3 million in export revenues, Anadolu Agency has reported, citing data from the Eastern Black Sea Exporters’ Association (DKİB). Last year’s exports marked a 15 percent increase compared with 2018 when tea exports stood at around 3,600 tons. Belgium , which purchased some 1,600 tons of tea, was the main export market for local tea producers, with $5.8 million. In terms of volume exports to this country, it soared 124 percent on an annual basis, while in terms of value the increase was 85 percent. Germany was the second-largest buyer with $2 million followed by North Cyprus with $1.7 million. Companies operating from the eastern Black Sea region exported 2,800 tons of tea, bagging a total of $8.5 million in revenues in 2019, up from 2,400 tons of tea shipments and $6.5 million of revenues collected in 2018. The main export market for the region’s growers was Belgium which absorbed $5.8 million worth o

Turkey's agriculture and forestry minister said Friday that 82 million saplings, almost as many as the country's population, will be planted across the country by November. "The rooting average of the saplings planted on Nov. 11, 2019, is 95 percent," Bekir Pakdemirli told Anadolu Agency's (AA) Editors' Desk in the capital Ankara. Over 11 million saplings were planted in more than 2,000 different localities across Turkey on Nov. 11 at 11:11 a.m. local time, as part of the "Breath for the Future" campaign launched by the ministry. Nov. 11 was declared National Forestation Day to be marked annually. The ministry planted the saplings on behalf of people who adopted them online as part of the massive forestation campaign. Pakdemirli added that the ministry itself plants nearly 300 million trees per year. The country has set a new world record for planting the most saplings in an hour, according to Guinness World Record officials, with 303,150 saplings

TGDF Council of Presidents convened in Istanbul... Federation of Food and Drink Industry Associations of Turkey (TGDF) met in Istanbul on January 15 with the Board of Directors. The developments in the economy were on the main agenda of the Board of Presidents, which started with the opening speech of TGDF President Şemsi Kopuz. TGDF President Kopuz: We spent a year in the shadow of difficulties In the opening speech of the meeting, Şemsi Kopuz said, “Unfortunately, we have left another year behind in the shadow of wars, tensions and global challenges… Unfortunately, our Agriculture and Food sectors were also negatively affected by these difficulties and tensions from time to time. TGDF Academy was launched... The first of these was that TGDF pioneered further training activities; In this way, we have established TGDF Academy. Our goal is to contribute to the qualified workforce and support our businesses for a more productive, happier human resource. Another important ta

A coalition of executives dedicated to inspiring ambition, mobilizing action, and accelerating progress toward achieving SDG Target 12.3 by 2030 Globally, a third of all food is lost or wasted between the farm and the fork. Reducing food loss and waste can be a triple win: It can save money for farmers, companies, and households; wasting less can feed more people; and reductions can alleviate pressure on climate, water, and land resources. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, a coalition of leaders – Champions 12.3 – launched a new effort to inspire ambition and mobilize action to reduce food loss and waste globally. This leadership group aims to accelerate progress toward meeting Target 12.3 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which seeks to halve per capita food waste and reduce food losses by 2030. The Champions include CEOs of major companies, government ministers, and executives of research and intergovernmental institutions, foundations, farmer organizations, and

Press release... Turkish Seed Industrialists and Producers Sub-Union (TSÜAB) Board of Directors and Officials of the Ministry of Agricultural Mobilization of Iran held negotiations to facilitate the seed trade between the two countries. Chairman of TSÜAB Dr. Ahmet Yılmaz and the accompanying TSÜAB Administration attended the Agricultech 2020 Iran Agriculture Fair held in Iran's capital Tehran on January 7-10, at the invitation of Abbas Keshavarz, Minister of Agricultural Mobilization. In his speech at the opening of the fair, Mr. Abbas Keshavarz, the Minister of Agricultural Mobilization of Iran, stated that seeing the Turkish delegation in their countries made them happy. After the ceremony, Ahmet Yılmaz noted that they will participate in the workshop to be held in February and added, "Turkish Seed Sector Representatives will visit Iran again in February to share their knowledge and experience with Iranian seeders." Expressing his satisfaction, Mr. Keshavarz

The preparations for International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) 2020 in Denmark are fully underway and have been so for more than a year. More than 20 members of Danske Fødevare- og Landbrugsjournalister (The Danish Guild) have volunteered to be part of the planning. Most of them are well underway with the planning of the many different tours to farms, research institutions, companies and so forth. A total of 16 different tours are spread out over three days, all of which are based on the overall theme Farming today for the society of tomorrow. The tours revolve around the following subthemes: Horticulture (2-3 tours), cattle (2 tours), pigs (2 tours), organic farming (2 tours), energy/climate, the cooperative movement, nature conservation, animal welfare, manure, new sales channels, mink and breweries. All in all, the tours will present numerous opportunities for interesting articles for our many foreign colleagues. We know that the entry fees of participation is imp

Moving forward on food loss and waste reduction... Rome Italy - Reducing food loss and waste is widely seen as an important way to increase the efficiency of the food system, improve food security and nutrition and contribute towards environmental sustainability. Growing attention to this issue is reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Many countries are already taking action to reduce food loss and waste, but the challenges ahead remain significant, and the efforts will only be effective if informed by a solid understanding of the problem. This year’s the State of Food and Agriculture - one of FAO's major annual flagship publications offering a science-based assessments of important issues in the field of food and agriculture - focuses on food losses and waste. Importantly, the report provides new estimates of the world’s food loss, which indicates that globally – in terms of economic value – around 14 percent of food produced is lost from post-harvest up to the

TürkTraktör, the Turkish automotive industry's first manufacturer that is still operational, managed to export 67% of the tractors it produced throughout 2019. The manufacturer last year produced 22,745 tractors, of which 15,207 were exported, in the largest plant in Europe in terms of production volume in the Erenler district of the northwestern province of Sakarya. TürkTraktör makes four out of every five tractors produced in the country. The company currently produces for New Holland, Case IH and Steyr, maintaining exports, which began in 1979, to more than 130 countries. TürkTraktör General Manager Aykut Özüner said that despite the shrinkage in the market, they accounted for about 78% of the country's tractor production. "I would say that we produce four out of every five tractors produced in Turkey," Özüner told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Saturday, adding that they exported 15,207 tractors last year. "Due to the shrinkage in the domestic market, our domestic m

Turkey's aquaculture exports have exceeded 1 billion dollars in revenue from the sale of fish grown in farms around the country. Sinan Kızıltan, chairman of the Fisheries and Animal Products Sector Board of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Turkey exported aquaculture worth 1.02 billion dollars last year, marking a 7 percent year-on-year rise. He added that the sector has entered 80 foreign markets. According to Kızıltan, sea bass ranked first among fishery exports at 296 million dollars, followed by sea bream at 255 million dollars, salmon at 104 million dollars and tuna at 86 million dollars. Also 60 percent of aquaculture exports went to EU countries. Indicating that Turkish aquaculture had gained significant success in the Netherlands, Italy, Russia, Japan and Greece, he noted that focus would be placed on increasing exports to the Far Asian market. CHINESE MARKET IN SIGHT Kızıltan said that they had entered the Chinese market last year and pr

Press release... GÜİD continues with Metin Güneş... The Association of Fertilizer Manufacturers, Importers and Exporters (GÜİD) held its ninth general meeting. At the general meeting held in Antalya, Metin Güneş was re-elected as president by refreshing trust. Established in 2003, GÜİD has 138 members and operates in fields such as organic, inorganic, microbial and worm fertilizer. Noting that fertilizer is the most important item in agricultural inputs, Metin Güneş said, "Fertilizer sales declined to 5.3 million tons which was 6.7 million tons in 2017 in Turkey. Unfortunately increases in foreign exchange rates and financial costs are the most important factors of this decrease, which is 95 percent dependent on imports in terms of the raw materials in the sector." As of GÜİD, Metin Güneş stated that preventing the use of agricultural resources of the country, especially water and soil, is a priority of being a part of sustainable agriculture and added, "As a

Food security and food loss and waste in Georgia... In Georgia, 8.9% of the population is severely affected by food insecurity. While governmental social programs are in place, many remain hungry. According to a 2016 report by Transparency International Georgia, providing a meal to every Tbilisi resident on a waiting list at a free kitchen would require a total of GEL 20 million (USD 6,7 million). Notably, charity organizations are required to buy most of the food they serve. At that, retailers, wholesalers and other food business operators record high amounts of unsold or discarded produce, which could potentially feed those in need and thereby contribute to enhancing food security. While the Strategy for Agricultural Development in Georgia (2015-20) aims to eliminate rural poverty and improve food security through sustainable agricultural, more food could be made available for consumption by reducing food losses and waste. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO

Press release... January 18, 2020 Berlin, Germany Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Director-General Qu Dongyu and Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli held a bilateral meeting yesterday in Berlin as part of the Global Forum on Food and Agriculture. Director-General emphasized that Turkey is an important member of the G20 group of countries that play an active role on food and agriculture and stressed that brings a fresh perspective to the international agenda. Qu Dongyu also underlined the important role of Turkey in the region. Minister Pakdemirli thanked FAO for the good work they have done in his country and invited the Director-General to the regional conference to be held in September on the Save Food Initiative. Minister Pakdemirli and General Director also touched on the value of knowledge and technology in agriculture. Qu Dongyu expressed his appreciation regarding initiatives that Turkey has put in effect re

Press release... The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled in favour of Turkish exporters and dropped its preliminary anti-dumping duty and countervailing duty investigations on imports of dried sour cherry. The U.S. Department of Commerce launched the investigation in December upon complaints from various American companies and a business body that additional customs duties might be levied on Turkish cherries. Had the ITC ruled against Turkish exporters, it may have affected some $1.2 million worth of dried tart sour cherries exported to the U.S. annually, according to 2018 figures. Following the loss of a preliminary case that had bipartisan support, the Turkish Ministry of Trade, Aegean Exporters' Association (EİB) and Turkish exporters along with an expert law firm joined forces to defend the Turkish case. The ITC unanimously ruled Tuesday in favor of the Turkish exporters. A detailed ruling will be made public on Feb. 18, which could be appealed. Farmers in va

A strong rebound in global fertilizer demand in 2020 is expected with more acres planted in the United States, according to a fertilizer analyst. Despite this positive outlook, there are some risks from across the world that threaten to alter this forecast. Rajiv Ram, senior analyst of agriculture and fertilizer demand for CRU Int. Ltd., said during the global fertilizer demand outlook at the 2019 Fertilizer Outlook and Technology Conference held in mid-November in Savannah, Georgia, that 2019 had several challenges to demand from uncooperative weather to trade disputes. However, the demand prospects for 2020 look to improve. Steady Demand Growth... Global fertilizer demand has seen good growth since 2000, excluding the impact of the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. The world fertilizer demand in 2000 was at about 140 million metric tons (mmt), and by 2018, this number was at just under 200 mmt. Ram said the global fertilizer demand number will be right around 200 m

Fighting food waste together... The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - FAO’s SAVE FOOD Initiative in Europe and Central Asia, and the International Food Waste Coalition will partner with Too Good To Go’s Movement against food waste to raise awareness of the consequences of wasting food and encourage more children and young people to value resources and thereby protect our planet. Consumer behaviour is arguably one of the leading, albeit underlying, drivers of food waste in developed regions such as Europe, and steps to shift social norms and consumer attitudes are important. The education of future generation of consumers plays a critical role in this. In line with its goal to inspire 500 schools all across Europe and using its experience of promoting and managing International education programmes, Too Good To Go will begin connecting schools and authorities to the “ Do Good: Save Food! ” series of teaching manuals, developed the FAO and the International

Food Redistribution in Georgia – Enhancing discussions to increase interest and highlight opportunities... 14 Jan 2020 Tbilisi, Georgia – Establishment of a food redistribution system as a means to reduce food waste has raised a lot of interest in the Caucasus region. Georgia, in particular, is seeking for innovative solutions to increase the outreach and impact of its existing food donation programs aimed to people in need. FAO Georgia, upon the request from the Georgian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, has been providing technical assistance in determining and analyzing practical solutions to the establishment of a food redistribution program. To this end, the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, with the support of FAO Georgia, had carried out a gap analysis of the national legislation and a situational analysis to identify the related needs, solutions and main challenges. These demonstrated a strong potential for such a program development

Turkey collected nearly 728,000 tons of cow milk in November, the country's statistical authority announced on Jan. 13. The November figure dropped by 2.1 percent compared to the same month of the previous year, the Turkish Statistical Institute  - TURKSTAT (TÜİK) said in a statement. "In the January-November period, [the cow milk production] decreased by 5.2 percent when compared to the same period of the previous year," it added. In November, some 128,700 tons of drinking milk was produced, down 2 percent from the same month previous year. The data also showed 20.4 percent rise in cream production, and production of drink made of yoghurt rose by 6.8 percent in November. Cheese production from cow's milk dropped by 1.2 percent, butter production decreased by 7.9 percent, while whole milk powder production went down 14.4 percent. In November, the average fat rate of cow milk collected by integrated dairies was 3.5 percent, the average rate of protein

Turkey 's hen egg production increased by 1.2 percent to 1.69 billion units in November 2019 on a yearly basis, Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) revealed on Jan. 13. The hen egg production increased by 1.3 percent to reach 18.15 billion units during the first 11 months of 2019, TÜİK data showed. The number of slaughtered chicken (95,013 units) and chicken meat production (168,007 tons) dropped by 5.4 percent and 3.7 percent year-on-year in November. In November, turkey meat production rose by 7.2 percent to reach 5,310 tons. The country produced over 2 million tons of chicken and turkey meat, during the first 11 months of 2019. Poultry exports reach over $800 million... Turkey's egg exports totaled $271 million in the January-October period, while exports of meat from poultry animals reached $538.4 million. The country's total poultry exports -- egg and meat -- were $809.4 million in the 11-month period. In 2018, Turkey's chicken and turkey meat

Food safety still tops the agenda of the government despite all of the new measures it has taken. As public complaints mount over companies fined for violating the food safety code, some companies are resorting to changing their names and executives to continue operations. To deal with this, lawmakers are preparing a new, more efficient bill that includes prison sentences up to five years for people and businesses involved in the production, sale and import of food deemed dangerous to public health. New steps already found support from food producers. Atilla Totoş, a board member of an association of olive and olive oil producers, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Thursday that food safety violators "should be tried on manslaughter charges." "They deliberately sell fake foods," he says. "It will be a great day for Turkish food producers when the law comes into force," Totoş said, adding that Turkey can establish a police task force against food safety viol