Orange production in Turkey is estimated to decrease 1.3 million metric tons for 2020-21, a drop of 23% from the prior season. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) blamed the decrease on excessive hot weather conditions during the bloom period in May 2020.
High price increases continue for input costs such as electricity, fertilizer and chemicals. “Fertilizer prices are especially worrisome for Turkish producers, with a 60-90% increase in the last marketing year,” USDA/FAS stated.
In 2020-21, orange consumption in Turkey is expected to decrease to 976,000 metric tons in correlation with low production expectations. Consumption has been decreasing for the past three years due to low supply and high market prices. However, consumption did temporarily rise during the winter of 2020-21 due to COVID-19.
DECREASED EXPORTS
Orange exports are forecast to decrease 10% in 2020-21 compared to the previous season, to 263,000 metric tons. Russia is the biggest market for orange exports from Turkey. Iraq is the second largest export market.
At the beginning of 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry attempted to implement a restriction on orange exports based on pesticide analysis. The restriction was applied to all exported oranges. According to Turkish producers, this restriction was not the result of importing countries’ requests, and it caused a huge decrease in contracted orange exports at the beginning of the year. The ban caused damage with orange export markets. On Jan. 7, 2021, the ministry announced it would lift the restriction as a result of producers/exporters’ reactions and returned to normal operations approximately three weeks later.
ORANGE JUICE
In 2020-21, orange juice production in Turkey is forecast at 9,500 metric tons, the same as the prior year. Turkish consumers mostly prefer peach, apricot, cherry and mixed-fruit juices. The total fruit juice consumption in Turkey is estimated at 10 liters per year, which is considered very low when compared with European countries.
Orange juice exports are forecast at 3,000 metric tons for 2020-21, which is 19% lower than the previous year. Orange juice imports are estimated to reach 2,000 metric tons in 2020-21, lower than the previous year’s 2,214 metric tons. Imports are mainly from Northern Cyprus and Brazil.
See the full USDA/FAS report on Turkey.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service
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