Both the pomegranate and the apple season are in full swing in Turkey. According to one exporter, both seem to be struggling a bit with volumes, which could lead to higher prices. The company is very happy with the quality of the harvest this year and is confident in its product.
According to Yahya Erdogan, export manager for Turkish fresh produce exporter Ana Fruit, there will be lower volumes for the Turkish pomegranates this season: “For pomegranates, we’re expecting to have good, quality fruits this year. We hope both grower and the exporter to have a great season. Due to the fact that the seasons seem to get tougher every year, in some growing areas we are facing frost during the flowering times. With this in mind, we can say that the total crop volume is expected to be lower this year.”
The lower quantities will result in higher prices for the Turkish pomegranates, Erdogan states. “We’re getting some demand from Europe, but as the crop is less this year prices are going to be higher compared to previous seasons. European countries and Russia will be our main markets.”
Next to the pomegranate season, Ana Fruit will also be dealing with the apple season concurrently. Erdogan is happy with the quality of the harvest: “The apple season in Turkey has just started with the Gala variety harvests, 4 to 5 weeks back. This year, the quality of the crop is better in terms of color thanks to good rains obtained before the harvest. On the other hand, the amount of the Gala crop is less than expected.”
Competition in the apple market is fierce, and on top of that the prices of apples in the orchards are higher than last season, Erdogan explains. “Currently the demand isn’t very strong, I would say. Of course, the good quality apple is always demanded by our customers, but due to overlap of apple production in the different countries, we are seeing that the demand is separated into different markets. Apple prices in the orchards are higher than they were in the last year, so this in turn affects the consumer prices.”
Luckily, Ana Fruit has a wide variety of markets in the East to sell its apples to: “For apples, we can say that our major market is India, as there is a great demand for apples there. However, the Far East and Middle-Eastern countries are also important markets for us. Our biggest volume is of the Red Delicious variety, which grows in our area and the other varieties we specialize in are Gala and Granny Smith.” Erdogan concludes.
