The flower industry, which reached $80 million in exports in the first 5 months of the year, aims to reach $165-170 million by the end of the year.
The sector, which has more than 3,500 endemic plant species in its flora and exports to all over the world, especially in the cut flowers, indoor and outdoor plants, flower bulbs, seedlings, saplings, wreaths and moss groups, is in serious demand from the domestic as well as the foreign market.
Ismail Yilmaz, Chairman of the Ornamental Plants and Products Exporters’ Association, said that they achieved an increase of 7% in the 5 months of the year compared to the previous year.
Stating that they could not get flowers with the desired yield last year due to the damage caused to the greenhouses by the snowfall two years ago in Isparta, Yilmaz said that the production in this city also increased this year and that this would reflect positively on the export figures.
“We believe that we will achieve a 20% increase in exports by August”
Reminding that they closed the last year with $145 million of exports, Yilmaz said, “We believe that we will achieve a 20% increase in exports as in August. Last year, due to the economic crisis in the world and the low production in Isparta, exports were below expectations. We are doing well now. We have reached $80 million of exports in the last 5 months. We think we will reach the level of $165-170 million by the end of the year.”
Flowers are produced on an area of 60 thousand decares
Yilmaz stated that flowers are produced on an area of approximately 60 thousand decares in Turkiye, mainly in the Mediterranean and Aegean regions, especially in Antalya, Sakarya, Yalova, Mersin, Adana and Izmir. He said that outdoor plants are grown on an area of 35 thousand decares, cut flowers are grown on an area of 10-12 thousand decares, and indoor plants are grown in the remaining part.
Pointing out that the highest production of cut flowers is in Antalya, Yilmaz said, “90% of cut flowers are produced in Antalya and exported from here. Production is also carried out in Isparta during the summer period.”
Yilmaz said that outdoor production is mostly made in Sakarya region, and that outdoor exports are not yet at the desired level, but there has been a dynamism recently.
Yilmaz stated that the carnation is the species that is sold most abroad, but that the Sweet William flower has started to take a serious share in exports in recent years.
“Women-dominated employment is in question”
Stating that approximately 100 thousand people are employed directly and 300 thousand people are indirectly employed in the sector, Yilmaz said, “There is a female-dominated employment. Women are more prone to this job, 80% of our employees are women. Few people can work from a house, so flowers make a significant contribution to that house.”
Demands in exports are pleasing
Stating that flowers were sent from Turkiye to almost every point in Europe and exports were made to 80 countries, Yilmaz continued as follows:
“The country to which we export the most for a long time is the Netherlands, which is an important market for us. Then comes England. We have been quite good in the Turkic Republics in recent years. We make outdoor products especially for Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. We send more cut flowers to Europe. Serious demands are also coming from Gulf countries. Our industry will reach better points in exports in a very short time. We are also in a good position in the domestic market. Due to Mother’s Day and the election, the shipments were pleasing.”
Source: Trthaber / Prepared by Irem Yildiz