HAYRETTİN UÇAK: 60 PERCENT OF TABLE GRAPES GO TO RUSSIA

Press release...

60 percent of the grapes go to Russia...

Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters' Association Chairman Hayrettin Uçak said that Turkey  ranks 10th in the world in terms of grapes exports. 

"The most producing countries are China, Italy, USA, Spain, France, Turkey, India, Argentina, Chile, Iran, Egypt. 2018 grape exports in the world 4 million 873 thousand tons, 180 thousand tons with Turkey ranks 10th. One of the most important products in fresh fruit and vegetable exports is table grapes. In 2019, 207 thousand tons of table grapes were exported to 59 countries. 150 million dollars obtained in return. With these figures, we have increased 14 percent in quantity and 24 percent in value compared to 2018. At least 80 percent of these figures consist of sultani seedless grapes grown in this region," Uçak explained.

Pointing out that 60 percent of the table grapes are made to Russia, Hayrettin Uçak also noted, "But the share in the European Union countries has decreased from year to year compared to the rival producing countries due to pesticide residue problem."

Ready for new markets...

Uçak, in his written statement, announced that they need to diversify the countries exported and started two separate ÜRGE (product development) projects to find new markets in the fresh fruit and vegetable products, primarily the Far East.

“In URGE projects, we have put grape, cherry and pomegranate products in the foreground. We shoul do the necessary work to introduce our products to the world. We must know the value of Sultaniye grapes, which has an extremely important place in the world and must work more carefully, more efficiently in order not to stay below world standards. We must produce and prepare Sultaniye grapes according to the criteria of the World Health Organization. We should purify the products exported and also to the domestic market from chemicals that adversely affect human health. ”

What are the grape varieties?

“We should work to ensure that a sufficient number of varieties with high efficiency and quality are produced, rather than more. We should focus on Sultani Seedless, Red Globe, Superior, Razaki, Antep Karasi, Alphonse, Kardinal, Crimson, Perlette varieties that are mostly preferred ones," Uçak concluded...