Turkish citrus has proven a popular choice for UK suppliers across the winter months. The season fills the supply gap between the northern and southern hemispheres, and allows the UK market to sell citrus all year round.
The Eurasian country, which has fertile valleys in the west, mountain ranges across the east, and high mountains running along the northern and southern coasts, as well as hot weather and long sun hours, reaches its peak production period in the run up to Christmas.
This season has got off to a promising start, according to Murat Tuncay, export manager at Pan Tarim. “The season is going well, and the weather has been good until now, with temperatures averaging around 29-20°C until the end of September, and cooling to around 25°C in October,” he says. “The fruit is good quality.”
Ercan Aygar, owner of Aygar Narenciye Ltd, says the growing conditions in Turkey make for high-quality citrus that the UK can put on the shelves throughout the winter. “The weather in Turkey is suited to citrus production, with the 80 per cent-plus humidity, long sun hours and high temperatures helping to grow a very good product,” he says.
Tuncay adds that the good condition of Turkish soil contributes to the high quality of the product. “The soil has a very good quality in Tukurova, one of the most popular citrus-producing areas, and this combines with high temperatures and sun to produce good fruit,” he says.
Cem Turan, owner of exporting company CMS, says the consistent quality of Turkish citrus means that it meets the high standards needed to sell fresh product. “We grow better-tasting fruit in Turkey with fewer chemicals because of the suitable growing conditions, and this means that the product is mostly sold as table fruit,” he says.
The Turkish industry still has a lot of growth potential as a large proportion of the raw land suitable for citrus production is still unused, adds Turan. “Around 40 per cent of the land available for citrus production in Turkey is still unplanted, while Spanish citrus production, for example, is saturated,” he says. “There is a lot to look forward to in the Turkish industry, and the extra space means that, while other countries will have limited areas in which to expand, Turkish producers can continue to plant new varieties,” he says.
Turan says that 10 per cent of CMS’ production area is dedicated to growing newer varieties including the Navelina and Navelate, as well as new mandarin types. “We find new land for plantations when we see potential with a new variety so that we can start to produce it commercially,” he says. “And the extra land available means that Turkish growers can continue to do this.”
The Turkish citrus season started with lemons around September 20, after the end of the Argentine season and before Spanish supply, and continued with grapefruit supply, which began around two weeks ago, ahead of the seasons in Florida and Israel.
Turkish mandarin supply started last week and will stretch until the end of January, and the orange season will start next month. “The quality of the oranges is looking very good at the moment, and the quantities will be similar to last year,” says Aygar.
Emrah Mulayim, at Bamsped International, says the first arrivals of satsumas are expected from the fourth week of November. “Satsumas are the main product for Bamsped and the crop in Turkey is looking very healthy, and sizes will also be larger, which is good news. Supply will peak in December for the Christmas market especially - with the increasing demand from the multiples.
“Last year we extended the season through to mid-January with the help of late-season, high-altitude orchards and with further production we plan to continue the trend of late satsumas this season.”
Dave Gilbert, sales manager for UK importer Fruco, says one of the main reasons that Turkish citrus proves popular is because there is a period each year when it is alone in the market. “There is always a good demand for Turkish citrus as it seals a gap between the northern and southern hemisphere,” he says. “The country produces good soft citrus, which is the most popular category in the UK.” Fruco expects to start importing Turkish citrus to the UK over the next month through to February or March.
Spain, Morocco, Greece and Egypt are the main competitors to Turkish supply, and there is some overlap with the Algerian and Italian seasons. “Turkey is a little bit further from the UK market than Spain and Italy - and we are trying to compete with price first, then quality,” says Tuncay.
Turkey is set to produce nearly one million tonnes of oranges, 750,000t of mandarins, 500,000t of lemons and 200,000t of grapefruit this year - and around 10-15 per cent will be exported to the UK, according to Turan.
CMS sends nearly 200t of Turkish citrus to the UK every week over the peak production period. “The UK is a sophisticated market dominated by the supermarkets, and we have to be very careful quality wise,” says Turan. “But so far we have had no problems, and the season is going well.”
CMS supplies major retailers across the UK. Turan says the company has obtained a series of EU certifications in order to meet the standards set by the UK market. “We put a lot of emphasis on gaining certifications required by the UK market including EurepGAP, HACCP and ISO certifications,” he says. “This is our way of controlling growers so we can grow the market for Turkish citrus in the UK.
“Turkish production is improving all the time, season by season,” he adds. “We are working hard to produce more and expand the market. We prefer to grow the market slowly, on a country-by-country basis, by continuing to extend the season.”
The UK is also one of the main markets for Pan Tarim. A total of 30 per cent of its production is exported to the UK, with other major markets including the Netherlands, France and Germany. “The UK is not an easy market to get into, with supermarkets expecting levels of high quality,” says Tuncay. “But we are looking to increase our exports to the UK.”
Tuncay wants to raise Pan Tarim’s export share to the UK to 50 per cent - and he adds that the company is set to achieve this proportion after November.
But it is notoriously difficult to crack the UK market. “UK supermarkets want the best quality they can get at the cheapest price they can get,” says Gilbert. Tuncay adds that UK suppliers are too preoccupied with the aesthetic side of the product. “UK consumers are very quality conscious, and the majority appear to be looking at the look and size of the fruit rather than the taste,” says Tuncay. “With more emphasis on the way a product looks, the UK market is difficult to deal with.
“The taste of Turkish citrus is very good some seasons, but we cannot sell the product to the UK because of small problems with the way it looks,” he says. “But there is not a lot we can do to change this because what Mother Nature decides is out of our hands.”
The UK market is still out of reach for many Turkish producers, according to Aygar. His company exports around 4,000t of citrus to Europe each year - and Aygar is in the process of trying to find an opening in the UK market. “We don’t supply to the UK at the moment because most companies do not buy on fixed terms, and UK supermarkets are very strict,” says Aygar. “But we do intend to supply to the UK in the near future, and I have arranged to meet UK suppliers this week.”
