Dried figs, often referred to as the "fruit of heaven," left the 2023/24 season behind with an impressive export amount of 292 million dollars, marking a 12 percent increase compared to the previous season. In contrast, Türkiye closed the 2022/23 season with 259 million dollars in dried fig exports.

Decline in Export Quantity but Higher Prices

Despite a 13 percent decrease in the quantity of dried fig exports, from 73,337 tons in 2022/23 to 63,762 tons in 2023/24, Turkish exporters managed to increase the average export price by 29 percent in dollar terms. This resulted in a 12 percent increase in foreign exchange income, reaching 292 million dollars for the 2023/24 season.

Türkiye's Leadership in Dried Fig Production and Export

Mehmet Ali Işık, the Sustainability and Organic Products Coordinator of the Aegean Exporters' Association and President of the Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters' Association, emphasized Türkiye's position as the world leader in dried fig production and export. He attributed the success of the 2023/24 season to strong collaboration between producers, traders, universities, the public sector, and exporters.

Addressing Quality Concerns: Aflatoxin and Ochratoxin Prevention

Işık highlighted efforts within the sector to establish a system, from farmers to shelves, to prevent issues related to aflatoxin and ochratoxin contamination in dried figs. "We have distributed groats and bags to producers for many years to avoid increased control in our largest export market, the European Union," he said. In the 2023/24 season, UV lamps were purchased to enable export companies to carry out their controls, ensuring product quality. The distribution of groats bags to producers is part of the ongoing work to enhance the overall quality across the dried fig sector.

A Strong Start for the 2024/25 Season

Işık expressed optimism for the upcoming 2024/25 season, which has already had a strong start. He expects a harvest similar to the 2023/24 season and has set a target of 300 million dollars in dried fig exports. He noted that the strategy to reach distant markets, as set forth by the Ministry of Trade, has been effectively implemented in the dried fig sector as part of Türkiye’s broader efforts to diversify export markets.

Expanding into New Markets: Success in the American Continent and Far East

In the last decade, Türkiye has seen significant growth in its dried fig exports to distant markets. The share of the American continent in Türkiye’s dried fig exports has increased from 17 percent to 28 percent, while exports to Far Eastern countries rose from 12 percent to 15 percent in the same period. Işık credited initiatives like TURQUALITY and URGE projects, along with participation in trade fairs and sectoral trade delegations, for this success.

Top Export Markets for Dried Figs in 2023/24

The United States emerged as the top destination for Türkiye's dried fig exports in the 2023/24 season, with an export value of 59 million 377 thousand dollars, up from 43 million dollars in the 2022/23 season. France followed with 33 million dollars, and Germany ranked third with 32 million dollars. Additionally, Türkiye exported dried figs worth 14.6 million dollars to Canada, 13.6 million dollars to Italy, and 13.2 million dollars to Japan. Overall, Türkiye exported dried figs to 107 countries during the 2023/24 season.





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