TURKISH AGRI.NEWS

Press release... Birol Celep, Chairman of the Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters' Association, said that all measures were taken to support social health in this sensitive process. Celep said, "Every step of the supply chain of the products from the manufacturer to the consumer needs to be monitored. We pay special attention to product safety audits within the framework of strict inspection policy. Products offered directly to consumers are rigorously examined." Stating that 65 thousand tons of dried figs to 110 different countries have been exported and generated 236 million dollars in revenue last year, Celep noted, "In 2019-2020 season, 89 thousand tons of dried figs were produced. 70 percent of the annual fig production takes place in Aydın region. The number of dried figs enterprises located there is over 50." "We allocated two vehicles by our Associations to carry out TAREKS inspections, which form the basis of the product safety sys...

Farmers across Turkey continue works for harvesting and planting while abiding by the measures against the spread of coronavirus and on some occasions with special permissions from local authorities. Preparations to plant sunflower, corn, beetroot and potato have been completed in the Central Anatolian province of Konya, which is known as the grain silo of the country. “If measures regarding the travel of seasonal workers are taken, no problem will be seen in growing any crops,” said Konya Agriculture Engineers Chamber head Süleyman Soylu, adding that planting will continue until the end of May. “We may need the foreign workers returned from the big cities to our region under control. Our farmers also demand support for irrigation using electricity,” he added. Meanwhile, domestic tomato prices have declined to between 1 to 2 liras (15-30 cents) since annual exports to Russia are limited with 100,000 tons. In Kumluca district of the Mediterranean province of Antalya, the greenhouse ...

Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry announced additional measures Monday to ensure the safety and well-being of seasonal workers against the coronavirus as they migrate to the country’s agricultural regions for the harvest. According to the statement released by the ministry, seasonal workers will be supplied with additional hygiene and personal protection products, and their safety will be ensured during their transportation to agricultural areas and accommodation at the farms. Farms, greenhouses and gardens will be inspected by officials at the direction of the ministry, the statement said. The ministry added that seasonal farmers’ access to agricultural areas will continue during the outbreak to prevent any disruption in the nation's food supply. To ensure farmers’ access to fertilizers, crops and agro-chemicals, officials will do stock controls and inspections at agricultural fertilizer distribution and sales points . Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirl...

Press release... The Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters' Association Chairman Davut Er said that exports of Aydın province reached to 654 million dollars in 2019. Davut Er also underlined that Aydın province is the leading region by having the largest olive tree population with 25 million out of 181 million across Turkey. Stating that the share of olive and olive oil industry in Aydın was 28 million dollars in 2019, Er noted, "This year is the most productive season of recent periods. Our association exported to 94 countries in the January-March period of 2020 and provided foreign currency input of 46 million dollars. We do not watch the problems caused by the coronavirus outbreak in the trade flow." "We will get through these days in solidarity by supporting our team mates. We aim to boost the production and export performance that we exhibited in Aydın in the past years, by creating a common value and by expanding its export markets every year. ”

While the coronavirus epidemic grounded millions of people to their homes, pasta was one of the most purchased food products in the markets. Pasta Industrialists Association of Turkey (TMSD) Chairman Abdülkadir Külahçıoğlu, drew attention to the big jump in sales of pasta. Domestic sales folded in three, exports delayed... Külahçıoğlu stated that sales of TMSD members surged 300 percent as of March 11 on which pandemic was officially announced.        Pointing out that the annual production capacity of 3 million tons in Turkey, Külahçıoğlu said, "We sold 700 thousand tons to domestic market and 1 million 200 thousand tons abroad last year. In this framework Turkey is the second largest pasta exporter in the world with 600 million dollars of exports." Külahçıoğlu also noted that Turkey, in order to be able to meet the growing domestic demand, has postponed the exports for three months. Indicating that the annual pasta consumption per capita in Turkey was...

Turkey’s fresh fruit and vegetable exports surged in the first quarter despite global logistical constraints due to the coronavirus pandemic, while tomato exports grew by more than 12% from last year, industry data has shown. The exports of Turkish tomatoes rose 12.26% between Jan. 1 to March 25, compared to the same period last year, reaching $119.8 million from $106.7 million, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported Sunday, citing latest Turkey Exporters Assembly (TİM) figures. Exports of fresh peppers, on the other hand, surged by 13.5% in the same period from $42.1% million to $47.8 million, data showed. The majority of tomato exports went to Ukraine, Russia and Romania in the first quarter, while Germany was the leading importer of Turkish peppers, followed by Romania and Russia. Hakkı Bahar, chairman of the Western Mediterranean Exporters' Association, said the fresh vegetable and fruit sector experienced an upward trend despite the coronavirus-induced slowdown, being felt across almos...

Federation of Food and Drink Industry Associations of Turkey (TGDF) Chairman Şemsi Kopuz, in his written statement,  drew attention to the potential problems regarding food supply chain during the struggle held with Covid-19. “Precautions should be taken for possible problems in food supply” Kopuz said, "As of TGDF we would like to suggest that in this process, we both support the measures taken and strive to supply uninterrupted food to our society with all our manufacturers. Meanwhile we have determined the possible challenges that we might have in the forthcoming days after some consultations we carried on." Kopuz warned and continued as follows; "Urgent precautions must be taken against the damages that may occur on the agricultural sector, which is the most basic pillar of food production. Because the loss of labour force, imbalances and uncertainties that will arise at the point of demand carry the risk of unpredictable deterioration in the yield balance in...

Demand for flour in Europe has increased tremendously since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic, said the director of the International Association of Operative Millers (IAOM) Eurasia. Following the rapid spread of COVID-19, demand has been high for flour and flour products such as pasta amid the panic, Eren Günhan Ulusoy told Anadolu Agency. While cafes and pubs have been closed to stem the spread of the virus, bakeries are doing brisk business and bread sales have increased, he said. Turkey's flour and flour products trade has not been affected by the virus so far, but the slowdown in the global economy and increased container costs will affect it in the future, Ulusoy, who is also head of the Turkish Flour Industrialists' Federation (TUSAF), highlighted. "The epidemic does not have a direct effect on food products under the current conditions. I do not expect a problem in wheat or flour production," he said. As the world's largest flour exporting count...

Aydın Province Tariş Eau de Cologne enterprise, an affiliate of Tariş Figs Agricultural Sales Cooperative Association, nearly 50 years engaged in production of cologne, began to work at full capacity just after the coronavirus outbreak. Mustafa Bircan, Chairman of the Tariş Figs Association, stated that they do not keep up with orders even though they produce 10 thousand litres of cologne daily and said, "We stopped the process of exporting products abroad after the virus was seen. We try to work at full capacity and keep up with the demands." Production started on a 24-hour basis at the Tariş Cologne Factory in the Germencik (a district of Aydın province) Organized Industrial Zone, which has been operating since 1972. While the employees at the Tariş cologne factory do a feverish work to keep up with the demands, the produced colognes are sent to different parts of the country without waiting. The biggest problem is Ethyl Alcohol... Emphasized that the biggest p...

It has been three weeks since COVID-19 has drastically altered the daily lives of IFAD staff headquartered in Rome and stationed around the world. Scientists and governments around the world agree that one of the ways we can stop the virus from spreading is physical distancing. Yet the distancing measures needed to contain the coronavirus outbreak are slowing down the world’s economic engine, and this will have a tremendous impact on the global economy, with the most fragile countries and most vulnerable populations paying the highest toll. In a world that is slowing down, poverty will accelerate, and hunger will follow. In the Arab world alone, ESCWA forecasts that as a direct result of the outbreak, the number of poor will increase by 8.3 million, no less than 1.7 million jobs will be lost in 2020, water will become scarcer – and hunger might consequently take more lives than the virus. In a world that is slowing down, our commitment is increasing... The whole of IFAD’s Near East,...

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Lockdowns and panic food buying due to the coronavirus pandemic could ignite world food inflation even though there are ample supplies of staple grains and oilseeds in key exporting nations, a senior economist at FAO and agricultural analysts said. The world’s richest nations poured unprecedented aid into the global economy as coronavirus cases ballooned across Europe and the United States, with the number of deaths in Italy outstripping those in mainland China, where the virus originated. With over 270,000 infections and more than 11,000 deaths, the epidemic has stunned the world and drawn comparisons with periods such as World War Two and the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. “All you need is panic buying from big importers such as millers or governments to create a crisis,” said Abdolreza Abbassian, senior economist at the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). “It is not a supply issue, but it is a behavioral change over food security,” he...

National Dairy Council (USK) Chairman Prof. Dr. Muhittin Özder, stating that there is no reduction in milk production capacity since the outbreak a novel of coronavirus (Covid-19) across Turkey and said, "On the other hand we are about to get into a new term in which production will increase due to seasonality reasons." Özder explained that the sector is in a position to meet the demand in milk and dairy products and emphasized that farmers continue to produce raw milk and industrial sector producing dairy products work in this regard. Özder also pointed out that it is one of the most important duties to follow the market continuously as USK. "There has not been any decrease in the milk producers' production capacity since the first day of the Covid-19 outbreak. We clearly see the stability in the raw milk supply and raw milk quantities collected by our dairy industrialists on a daily basis," Özder noted. On the other hand, remembering the dairy indust...

While the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has analyzed products such as wheat, onion and potatoes where the demand has increased due to the new type of coronavirus (Covid-19), wheat cultivation, especially pasta, has increased by 10 percent, onion and potatoes in stock are sufficient to the new product period. Durum wheat production increased, potato and onion stocks sufficient... According to the analysis conducted through field visits across the country by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry General Directorate of Plant Production, 68.5 million decares of wheat were planted in the country last year. This year, according to the first evaluations, an increase in durum wheat in the Southeastern Region, from wheat bread to barley in the Eastern Anatolia Region and an increase in durum wheat in the Central Anatolia Region are expected. Grain development reached the desired level as the rains and temperatures at the end of last year were above seasonal norms. To...

"There is no problem in our chicken and turkey meat production" Turkish Poultry Meat Producers and Breeders' Association (BESD-BİR) Chairman Dr. Sait Koca said that there is no problem in chicken and turkey meat production; their production is at a level to meet consumer demands and will not be disrupted. Pointing out that Covid-19 has been influencing the whole world, Dr. Sait Koca said in a statement, they continued without interrupting production as white meat industrialists and producers, "We are aware of the importance of healthier diets of our consumers these days," he added. Noting that consumers should feel comfortable, "There is no problem in our chicken and turkey meat production. Our production is at a level to meet consumer demands and will not be disrupted. Our production activities will continue without disruption as there is no decrease in production," he concluded...

Turkish carpet sellers have made a sum of $438.5 million in exports in just the first two months of 2020, marking a 22.1% year-on-year increase. Last year, the sector's export volume exceeded a record-breaking $2.5 billion, according to an Anadolu Agency (AA) report published Wednesday, citing data from the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), while this year’s start indicates similar records and success in exports. The 2-month figures enjoyed by the carpet industry, which started the new year with an export target of 3 billion, giving hope for the rest of the year, the report said. The carpets were exported to 190 countries worldwide over this period. Some $221.4 million worth of the exports were recorded in January, while the remaining $217.1 million was exported in the last month. TİM Carpet Industry Board Chairman Selahattin Kaplan told AA that the growth at the beginning of this year signaled that Turkish carpetmakers would also be better able to weather the recent outbreak of t...

Turkey’s whitefish exports, at $21.1 million, has recorded a 41% increase year-on-year during the January-February period this year. The country exported a total of $175.4 million worth of sea products during the first two months of 2020, according to an Anadolu Agency (AA) report published Wednesday, citing data from the Aegean Exporters' Association (EİB). Sea bass, which was worth $59 million, led all of Turkey’s sea products exports during the period, followed by sea bream, valued at $50 million, and whitefish. Whitefish recorded the highest value increase in sea products, growing from less than $15 million in exports in 2019, to over $21 million in the same period this year. Germany purchased the most whitefish, mostly frozen or fumed, from Turkey, importing $8.6 million worth. Russia and the Netherlands followed with $5.4 million and $1.9 million respectively. While sea bass is sold primarily to the European market, Russia ranked first in sea bream purchases from Turkey, inc...

Press release... Food sales in open area has been prohibited within İzmir metropolitan region. Within the scope of the measures taken to prevent the coronavirus epidemic, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality banned the sale of food in open area. Izmir Metropolitan Municipality continues to fight against the coronavirus epidemic, which threatens the whole world. The Metropolitan has prohibited the sale of food in the open under the circulars against the coronavirus by the Presidency. After the ban, the teams affiliated to the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Police Department started to inspect places that sell food. The teams first inform the businesses operating in the fields of duty, authority and responsibility of the Metropolitan so that they do not have any food materials on the road or on the sidewalk. Measures to be taken to businesses and rules to be followed are explained. Necessary legal procedures are applied to businesses that do not comply with the rules.

TÜROB (Hotel Association of Turkey) management recommended its member hotels to bring 'breakfast plate and set menu' practise by abolishing 'open buffet' in breakfast, lunch and dinner services A letter sent to members... It is announced in the article sent from TÜROB to member hotels, “There are breakfast and dining halls in the common areas where guests are together. For this reason, we recommend replacing the 'open buffet' and practise 'breakfast plate and set menu' in all hotels and restaurants." Breakfast is mainly serviced as 'open buffet' in accommodation sites across Turkey

Press release... Ankara - 21.03.2020 - Union of Turkish Agricultural Chambers (TZOB) President Şemsi Bayraktar said that according to the annual available amount of water falling Turkey's per capita is among the countries facing water scarcity. Bayraktar also said, "We have to take measure against drought and save water. Turkey is not rich in water. Wasting even a drop of water is treason to future generations." In his statement, due to the March 22nd World Water Day, Bayraktar stated that water which is indispensable for life, is not distributed evenly in the world, while in some regions, tens of thousands of cubic meters of usable water falls, while in some regions it becomes almost impossible to reach clean water. "The annual available amount of water per capita in Turkey in 1347 cubic metres. That means our country, which suffers from water shortage today, faces the risk of becoming poor due to the increase in the population. We should act with this con...

The Konya Closed Basin (5 million ha in Central Anatolia) once known as Turkey ’s “grain warehouse,” is fighting drought due to improper irrigation activities and uncontrolled agriculture. The annual consumption of water in the basin was 4.5 billion cubic meters, while annual consumption reached 6.5 billion cubic meters. Speaking about the condition of the basin and the efficient use of water in the region, Nevzat Özer from the TEMA Foundation, Turkey’s largest and leading environmental NGO, said that society is always in need of water, and therefore civilizations are developing in the water basins. Stressing that ecology collapses and societies are dispersed in cases where soil and water are used incorrectly, Özer said that the lands and forests lost in the country and the wetlands that were dried are tiring Anatolia. Recalling that there are 25 river basins in Turkey, Özer stated that there are many problems in these regions from pollution to the use of wrong water in agri...

Let's not bring out rivals to Turkish thyme... Adding terrific flavours to world kitchens and having a curing effect to heart health, cancer, the therapeutic properties of the digestive system and respiratory disorders along with being a leader in production and exports, Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has taken an action in order to eliminate the threat of weeds with the support of exporters and producers. Stating that Greece managed to export a thousand tons of thyme after many years in 2019, Aegean Furniture, Paper and Forestry Products Exporters' Association Vice Chairman Nurettin Tarakçıoğlu said that producers should fight weeds during production and harvest, otherwise the share of Turkish thyme in the world markets may decrease. Tarakçıoğlu also warned that if no measures are taken, Greece and other thyme producer countries will become rivals to Turkish thyme. "We earn 60 million dollars from thyme" Pointing out that 20 thousand tons of thyme prod...

Within the scope of "Regional Development Focused Mission Differentiation and Specialization Project" of Higher Education Council (YÖK), 5 new universities were announced. Kırklareli University will specialize in Food, Artvin Coruh University in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Yozgat Bozok University in Industrial Hemp. YÖK Executive Board Member Prof. Dr. Naci Gündoğan who made an information presentation about the project at the meeting. Dr. Naci Gündoğan gave an overview of the current status of the project and shared information about the selection process of 5 new universities for the project. Expectations from specialized universities... Speaking after the presentation, YÖK President Prof. Dr. Yekta Saraç said that their expectations from universities are to develop “Targeted Socio-Economic Research Programs” in the field of specialization given to them and to provide meaningful values ​​for the development of the region. Kırklareli Food Specialization Universi...

Secretary Perdue’s Statement on National Ag Day... (Washington, D.C., March 24, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement regarding National Agriculture Day and President Donald J. Trump’s Proclamation recognizing the importance of America’s farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers: “Our farmers, ranchers, foresters and producers in America are feeding and clothing the world. Now more than ever it’s important that the American people not forget that. Our farmers are resilient and during these uncertain times they are still working, day in and day out, to produce what’s needed for our growing population,” said Secretary Perdue. “Today, on National Ag Day, I challenge the American public to keep our farmers, ranchers and producers on their minds – for all their work to provide us a safe, healthy and abundant food supply. We owe them a debt of gratitude.”

According to Turkey Statistical Institute (TÜİK) data, Turkey's exports of sugar and confectionery products increased by 2.9 percent compared to the previous year, in 2019 approximately 617 million 85 thousand dollars. 1 Turkey has most exported to the United States with 98 million 557 thousand dollars while it sells these products to 166 countries. This figure constituted 16 percent of total exports. In exports, the USA was followed by Iraq with 45 million 183 thousand dollars, the United Kingdom with 35 million 469 thousand dollars, Germany with 27 million 456 thousand dollars and the Netherlands with 18 million 984 thousand dollars. Turkey's imports in this chapter in the said period, a decrease of 0.1 percent to 170 million 981 thousand dollars. The Russian Federation took the first place among the countries where sugar and confectionery products are imported with approximately 41 million 188 thousand dollars. This country was followed by Brazil with 22 million 692 ...

Coronavirus: no evidence that food is a source or transmission route European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is closely monitoring the situation regarding the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that is affecting a large number of countries across the globe. There is currently no evidence that food is a likely source or route of transmission of the virus. EFSA’s chief scientist, Marta Hugas, said: “Experiences from previous outbreaks of related coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), show that transmission through food consumption did not occur. At the moment, there is no evidence to suggest that coronavirus is any different in this respect.” The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has said that while animals in China were the likely source of the initial infection, the virus is spreading from person to person – mainly via respiratory droplets that ...

Dursun Oğuz Gürsoy, Vice Chaiman of the Black Sea Hazelnut and Products Exporters' Association, said that their end of season targets are 325 thousand tons of hazelnut exports and 2.5 billion dollars in foreign currency. Expressing that these developments in hazelnut exports are very pleasing, Gürsoy said that the industry representatives feel satisfied. Gürsoy emphasized that one of the most pleasing developments in addition to the export of hazelnuts to Germany and Italy in the traditional markets is the increase in exports to China. Noting that positive developments in China will increase the possibility of selling hazelnuts to Far East in the future, Gürsoy said, "In the coming years, China may even be in the top 3. This is a situation we always expect." Gürsoy stated that there was a slowdown in consumption in the market chains in February due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in China, but they expect this slowdown to end and the sector to move again. ...

Beekeeping industry is about to end in China... Due to the coronavirus, agricultural workers are not able to go to beehives, so honey production in China is almost unavailable this year. While China provides 30 percent of world honey production, Turkey follows this country. In China, which has a travel ban due to the coronavirus due to the beginning of the pollen transport season of bees, the hives have become indifferent, as workers who need to deal with beehives cannot leave their homes. It is stated that some of the animals may have been destroyed while the agricultural workers could not feed the bees for a long time. "If I lose all of my bees, my annual income will be completely disappeared," said a bee breeder, who did not want to be named according to the news in Reuters. 300 thousand people work in China's beekeeping industry. Turkey most honey-producing country in the world after China... China produces an average of 500 thousand tons of honey every ye...

Hakkı Bahar, Chairman of the Western Mediterranean Exporters' Association said that while exports slowed down in some sectors due to the new type of coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic, an increase was observed in the fresh vegetable and fruit sector... Stating that 858 thousand tons of exports were made in the fresh vegetables and fruits industry during the period of January 1 - March 19 last year, 455 million dollars of foreign exchange was provided from this, "This year, 956 thousand tons of fresh vegetables and fruits exports made and 581 million dollars in revenue obtained in the same period. There was an increase of 11.35 percent in kilograms and 27.6 percent in the foreign currency point entering the country," Bahar said. Russia is the first in exports... Bahar stated that in this period, exports were made to 85 countries in the sector. Pointing out that Russia is in the first place in exports; Romania, Ukraine, Iraq, Germany, Bulgaria, Poland, Serbia, Georgia ...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that agriculture has a key role to play in helping the country achieve its goal of becoming five trillion dollar economy and the government was focusing on formulating a cash crop and export-centric farming system. Addressing a gathering here after distributing Krishi Karman Awards, Modi said that the effort of Central government has led to an increase in the production and export of spices in the country. "The agriculture sector has a very important role to play in making India a five trillion dollar economy. For this, our government is focusing on formulating a cash crop and export centric farming system," he said. Modi said that production of spices has crossed 25 lakh tonne and their export has risen from Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 19,000 crore. He said the government was not only solving problems of farmers but also working towards a better future for them. "We have made arrangements so that farmers can sell their prod...