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Türkiye earned $301.6 million from pickle exports in the January-September period.
According to figures compiled by a state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent from Aegean Exporters’ Associations (EIB) data, 197,692 tons of pickles were exported to 121 countries in the first nine months of the year.
Export revenue rose from $300.9 million in the same period last year to $301.675 million this year.
Pepper pickles brought in the most revenue at $129.5 million, followed by cucumber and gherkin pickles at $129 million.
These two products made up about 86% of total pickle exports.
Germany ranked first in pickle exports with $56 million, followed by the U.S. with $32.7 million, the Netherlands with $29.1 million, the U.K. with $27.3 million and Spain with $13 million.
Exports to Russia, France and Bulgaria also increased.
Hayrettin Ucak, head of the Turkish Fruit and Vegetable Products Exporters Associations Sector Board, told AA that tasty, high-quality vegetables grown on Anatolian soil are turned into various products and contribute to the national economy.
Ucak said pickles bring foreign currency into the country through exports and add value to agricultural production. "Our country’s pickle exports are growing every year. In the first nine months of this year, we exported $301.675 million worth of pickles."
"Our goal is to strengthen our position in existing markets while also making room for Turkish pickles in new countries. To that end, we are focusing on increasing product variety, developing products suited to different consumption habits, and branded exports," he added.
Ucak stressed that the sector aims to bring Turkish pickles, a deeply rooted flavor, to more tables around the world and to increase the sector’s contribution to production, employment and exports.
Muhammed Elciboga, a board member of the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters’ Association, said Türkiye has been the world’s largest pickle producer for nine years.
Elciboga said Turkish pickles are spreading and being used more around the world. He added that they are seen as a high-quality product globally, used in fast-food chains and treated as a fast-moving consumer product in European Union countries.
Noting that the Turkish pickle sector competes in the global market, Elciboga said Turkish pickles are viewed as a quality product with a reliable supply, while consumption styles vary by country.
Drawing attention to Türkiye’s considerable experience in pickles, Elciboga said, "We are talking about exports of nearly $302 million in this period. 75% of these exports come from the Aegean. We are in very fertile lands, among the very few places in the world that can harvest 3-4 times a year. There is serious labor involved, from the seed stage to the product being displayed on market shelves."
"Our export target by the end of the year is $500 million. Exporting the product as a vegetable is very valuable, but adding value by putting it in a jar and exporting it to about 130 countries a year is far more valuable," he concluded.
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