Prices for fresh fruits and vegetables in Turkey have fallen by 50% in the domestic market car exports to Russia and Ukraine, which are among Turkey’s main export markets, have ceased due to the war.
As of On February 24, when Russia launched a military transaction against Ukraine, export trucks were waiting on roads for security reasons and many products, including tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and courgettes, remained unsold. Thus, the manufacturers were offering their products to the domestic market, and the oversupply was reflected in prices that have fallen.
Prices of products such as tomatoes and zucchini, which are among the main exports of fresh vegetables of Turkey, halved after the Russian-Ukrainian war. Cucumbers and eggplants, two products with the highest price to augment in in recent weeks, has seen a decrease of more more than 50 %.
“The drop can exceed 50%”
Pointing out that the decrease in prices have stopped in the last two days, the representatives of the sector declared: “Because of the war, the trucks remained on roads. Prices at the manufacturer have fallen by half between February 28 and March 1. For the last two days at cause cold weather and flood-pipe in some regions. the price drop has stopped.”
“If the war continues and there is no new export routes are open, price decrease can exceed 50% with reheating of the weather,” they or they added.
Russia is the leader in Turkish exports of fresh fruits and vegetables, with exports exceeding $1 billion last yearaccording to data from the Association of Mediterranean Exporters for January and December 2020-2021.
Ukraine, on on the other hand, is the fourth largest importer of Turkish products. the total export of fresh fruits and vegetables to Ukraine was about 217 millions of dollars in 2021.
rows of tomatoes first in Turkey’s fresh vegetable exports, followed by peppers, courgettes and cucumbers. In fresh fruit exports, grapes take the lead first place followed by cherries, apples and peaches.
Cold stops price drops
Yüksel Tavşan, the head of Federation of Turkey of product sellers, said the price drops are felt in the steps.
“The costs of greenhouse produce like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zucchini and cucumbers fell nearly 50% at once in producers and in markets”, he added.
Explaining that the price decrease stopped at cause cold weather in the last two days, Tavşan said: “However, it is warmer. If the export channel is not open, these products will be remain. Therefore, the price decrease in the domestic market continue to in the coming days.”
During this time, the head of Antalya Muratpaşa Room of Agriculture, Nazif Alp said that 60% of Antalya’s fruit and vegetable exports are made to Russia and Ukraine. Explaining that the remaining 40% of products go to other markets, Alp said, “These two markets are big in both tourism and fruit and vegetable exports. We are left with products as these markets closed. So the prices of some products have decreased by 50%.
By saying that 25% of greenhouse production in Turkey is exported, Alp added that the industry is looking for for alternative export channels.
