Turkey's Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Exporters Association (TYMSIB) has announced this week that exports of fresh fruits and vegetables have climbed through the first nine months of 2010, up 5 per cent in volume terms and 15 per cent in value.
Fresh vegetable exports grew 6 per cent in volume and 16 per cent in value through the January-September period, with a turnover of US$585.5bn (€416m), Anatolia News Agency reported.
Tomatoes led the way in Turkey's vegetable category with exports standing at US$5.1m (€3.6m), with large volumes of peppers, cucumbers and onions also shipped.
Exports of fresh fruits reached US$853.6m (€606m), according to TYMSIB, led by cherries at a value of US$150.74m (€107.1m) and followed by table grapes, apricots and strawberries.
'We could reach US$2.25bn through the end of this year,' TYMSIB chairman Kemal Kaçmaz told Turkish media. 'Turkey is a natural hub of fruit and vegetable production thanks to the country's geographical conditions and ethnological diversity.'
