Success story of sweetcherry export from Turkey
Yavuz Taner
Abstracts, 10th International Controlled & Modified Atmosphere Research Conference, 4-7 April 2009, Antalya, Turkey. 80 pages.
2009
บทคัดย่อ
Turkeyis native land of cherries. It is known to originate in Giresun in North part of Turkey near by the Black sea. Cherries are grown widespread more than 70 percent of the country and produces almost 13 percent of world production. Many varieties are grown, yet. 0900 variety is the most important one, known to be exportable. Only 40-50 percent of cherry production is 0900 Ziraat. 0900 ziraat cherry variety name is use to unify one cherry variety which is called different names in so many different regions. 0900 ziraat is called Salihli in Izmir Region and named Napoleon in Afyon Region. P1s P1s Ahmet in Canakkale Region, and so many other names in different parts of Turkey.
During early 1980's insentivers were given by government to encourage companies to export fruits from Turkey. Quality of 0900 ziraat variety was found to be suitable for export to Europe. Export started by air shipment and continued by Frigo truck shipments during the period 1980-1995 to so many Eurepean wholesale markets. Quantity of exports of cherries increased from nothing in 1980 to 10.000 tons by 1995.
Adaptation and use of Modern Technology hydro-cooling and MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging) by 1996 and extensive use afterwords by Turkish fruit exporters had been widespread.
Starting with 1996, within 10 year period, Turkish cherry exports increased 5-6 folds by year 2006, when export quantities reached 54.000 tons with value of 140 mil U.S.$ Turkey has been a good supplier with high quality cherries to Europe. Modern infrastructure for packing by cherry exporters, projection is expected to bring export quantity of cherries up to 100.000 ton level, by 2012.