Pistachios were exported to 94 countries, including Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Portugal, and Cuba, in the first 10 months of 2020.
Pistachio, which has been popular among the producers due to its economic return, is produced in 22 Turkish provinces, especially in Sanliurfa and Gaziantep.
Antep Pistachio, which is among the unchanging tastes of Turkish cuisine in almost every field such as baklava, various meals, desserts, and cookies, is also in great demand abroad.
According to the data of Southeastern Anatolia Exporters Union (GAIB), $130 million 439 thousand of pistachio exports were made in 2019; while an income of $90 million 471 thousand was obtained from the exports in the 10-month period of 2020.
In this period, 7864 tons of pistachios were exported to 94 countries, including the USA, England, Australia, Maldives Islands, Ireland, and Japan.
Germany took the first place in pistachio exports with 1525 thousand tons. This country was followed by China with 1423 thousand tons and Italy with 798 tons.
‘’Export figures will go much higher at the end of the year.’’
Isa Kizildemir, the president of Sanliurfa Commodity Exchange Assembly pointed out that export figures were high during the pandemic although the whole world closed its doors for a while. He said:
‘’ High pistachio export numbers are pleasing for both manufacturers and for Turkey. Our pistachio harvest is in a very good condition this year, production has been completed a short while ago. The export of this year’s pistachio harvest has not yet begun. With the start of the exports of new crops, these numbers will rise to much higher at the end of the year. Determining the base price for pistachio is also important for producers, and we have initiatives in this regard. ‘’
Halil Peltek, the president of Sanliurfa Chamber of Commerce (SUTSO) stated that most of the Turkish pistachio production took place in Sanliurfa and reminded that Turkey exported pistachios to 93 countries last year.
Explaining that a high yield was achieved in pistachio this year, Peltek said:
‘’This year is the year of pistachio. The yield was 50 percent higher; we had an export of $111 million in 10 months of last year. We expect an export of about $150 million by the end of 2020.”
source: AA / translated by Melisa Karayusufoglu