TURKISH AGRI.NEWS

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

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 o...