In Turkey’s grape growing region of Alasehir in Manisa, exports of the world-famous Sultaniye grape variety reduced 56 percent in 2015 compared to the year before. In 2014, 250,755 tons of Sultaniye grape were exported, in 2015 this fell to 143,156 tons.
A large proportion of table grapes from Alasehir were sent to Russia; last year 106,748 tons of exports were made to the country. To other European countries just 36,407 kilograms of exports were realised.
Alasehir chamber of agriculture chairman Necdet Turk explains, “In 2014 table grape exports especially increased. In 2014 the level of grape exports experienced an increase of 29% in comparison with the previous year, and then this suddenly fell by a close to 56% shock drop in 2015. The biggest factors which caused the drop were the hail and frost in the region followed by the Russian jet crisis. The yield fell by 30% compared to the previous year.”
Like every year, Russia was the biggest market for grape exports in 2015, Necdet Turk remarks, “Russia is our biggest market. We hope that the crisis can be resolved as soon as possible so that at least exports in 2016 won’t be adversely affected.”
Turk explains that training seminars have been organised for the growers by firms and agricultural institutions, “We are teaching growers how to cultivate, use fertiliser, analyse soil, when to use certain chemicals and which, when to harvest and so on. Our growers are using the methods passed down from their ancestors, our training needs to replace this with technology and growing as buyers demand, in order to produce safe and high quality grapes. This will ensure that the problems experienced in exports in the past aren’t repeated.”
