EİB Ranks First in Turkey in Agricultural Exports

While Turkey exported USD 23 billion worth of agricultural products in 2021, the Aegean Exporters Associations achieved USD 5.1 billion in exports, accounting for 22 percent of Turkey's agricultural product exports and becoming the country's leading agricultural exporter. Aegean exporters, who for centuries have been shipping healthy food grown in the plains of the Aegean Region to all corners of the world, managed to increase agricultural product exports from USD 4.358 billion in 2020 to USD 5.1 billion in 2021, a 17 percent growth. Jak Eskinazi, emphasizing that the pandemic has once again demonstrated that investment in the agricultural sector is essential, stated: "The harmony achieved recently among civil society organizations in Izmir is yielding results in the agricultural sector as well. When the Agricultural Specialization Organized Industrial Zones being established in Dikili, Kınık, Bayındır and Bergama come on line, the Aegean Region's agricultural product exports will shift into higher gear. Currently at USD 5.1 billion, the Aegean Region's agricultural product exports will reach USD 10 billion in the medium term with the contribution of the Agricultural Organized Industrial Zones."

Targets to be achieved through TURQUALITY and URGE programs

Birol Celep, Deputy Coordinator Chairman of the Aegean Exporters Associations and Chairman of the Aegean Dried Fruit and Products Exporters Association, noted that the Aegean Exporters Associations operate with a sustainable agriculture motto and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Trade, stating that they are implementing two TURQUALITY Projects to increase exports of agricultural products grown in the Aegean Region, with one project covering South Korea, Japan and China, and another targeting the United States, the world's largest food importer. Celep stated that they have launched the "Food Sustainability URGE Project" supported by the Ministry of Trade, which includes 6 food associations within the Aegean Exporters Associations, adding: "Through this project, we aim to increase the sustainability competencies of our agricultural sectors by clustering. With the work we will carry out with 27 strong companies in the food export sector, we will add an important link to sustainability in the agricultural sector." Sharing that Turkey exceeded the USD 1.5 billion threshold for the first time in 2021 with USD 1.574 billion in dried fruit exports, Celep concluded: "Our exporters in the Aegean Region generated USD 861 million, accounting for 55 percent of Turkey's dried fruit exports. With seedless dried raisins leading as our principal product at USD 421 million in exports, we earned USD 219 million in foreign exchange from dried figs and USD 135 million from dried apricots."

68 percent of aquatic products exports from the Aegean

Bedri Girit, Chairman of the Aegean Aquatic Products and Animal Products Exporters Association, emphasized pride in being the association with the highest export value among the 7 agricultural associations within the Aegean Exporters Associations in 2021, with USD 1.32 billion, noting that they contributed 40 percent to Turkey's USD 3.4 billion in aquatic products and animal products exports in 2021, making them the leading sector nationwide. Sharing that Turkey's aquatic products exports totaled USD 1.401 billion in 2021, Girit stated: "As the Aegean Region, we contributed USD 953 million to aquatic products exports. We accounted for 68 percent of Turkey's exports. While our poultry meat exports were USD 178 million, we exported USD 77 million in eggs, USD 64 million in dairy products. Our honey exports totaled USD 10.5 million."