TURKISH AGRI.NEWS

Turkey ’s flower growers are looking for new foreign markets as demand has dropped significantly because of the global pandemic. The industry’s exports stood at 107 million dollars last year and growers had initially set a higher revenue target of 125 million dollars for 2020, however the coronavirus outbreak shattered their hopes. Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast, is the centre of flower growing business in Turkey, has been hit particularly hard from the fallout from the pandemic. The growers in the city ship flowers, such as carnations, and gerbera, to a wide range of countries, including the U.K, Germany, Ukraine and Romania. “The industry is suffering greatly from the pandemic. We even want to distribute flowers for free, but people do not accept this offer out of fear that they may get infected with the virus. The closure of hotels was also another blow to the sector. We had to let the flowers rot,” said İsmail Yılmaz, the Head of Flower Exporters’ Association. He no...

Turkish flower businesses are set to export flowers worth about $8 million to over 50 countries for International Women's Day on March 8, officials said Tuesday. İsmail Yılmaz, Chairman of the Central Anatolian Ornamental Plants and Products Exporters' Association, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the sector becomes very busy especially during the first quarter of the year with International Women’s Day coming just after Valentine’s Day, which also saw a high export volume of Turkish flowers. He said they made Valentine’s Day shipments most recently, sending a total of 60 million cut flowers to 50 countries, including the Netherlands, the U.K., Germany, Romania and Ukraine, and the sector is now very busy for a similar export for Women’s Day. Saying that each special occasion requires a different type and color of flower, Yılmaz also noted that each country demands different colors of flowers as the demands change depending on domestic markets. As a result, they made all types o...

Turkish flower producers have exported 60 million roses to 50 countries – including the Netherlands, the U.K., Germany and Ukraine – ahead of Valentine's Day on Feb. 14. The shipping of roses began 20 days ago, İsmail Yılmaz, the head of the Central Anatolian Ornamental Plants Exporters' Association, told Anadolu Agency (AA). Last year, the rose production was lower than that in the current year due to cold weather conditions, Yılmaz said, adding that the country exported 6 million more roses this year, compared with the previous year. Noting that rose exports amounted to $6.5 million so far, he said new orders will be sent via airways until Feb. 14. He said Turkey also exports other flowers, especially carnations, that make up nearly 90% of shares of the country's total flower exports.