28 July 2018•Update: 02 August 2018
ANKARA
Turkey has made an export of cherries to China for the first time, said Ihsan Beser, chairman of Anadolu Kiraz.
The export was made under the 2013 Food Security Agreement and the 2015 Plant Health Protocol, that were signed between Turkey and China, Beser told Anadolu Agency.
In China's crowded cities, such as Guangzhou, Shanghai and Pekin, people consume a large quantity of cherries, he said.
“China imports cherries mostly from Chile, the U.S., Canada and Australia," Beser noted.
In Chile, the cherry season ends in April, but in Turkey it starts in May. “Chile is not a rival for Turkey,” he underlined.
Within the scope of the first cherry exports, the company sent 4 tons of cherries to four customers in China, Beser stressed.
"They will be sold in big markets and online stores. We expect more order next year," he said.
Turkey exported cherries worth nearly $160 million last year, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute.
Reporting by Arife Yildiz Unal and Sevgi Ceren Gokkoyun:Writing by Gokhan Ergocun
