Turkey’s fruit and vegetable exports to Russia drop sharply

Turkish fruit and vegetable exports to the crisis-stricken Russian Federation have taken a hit in recent months, declining 20 percent in November and December of last year for a loss of $55 million, said West Mediterranean Exporters' Union (BAİB) President Mustafa Satıcı at a press conference in Antalya on Monday.

Satıcı said representatives from the economy ministries of both countries are planning to hold a meeting in Antalya next month to explore possible strategies to resuscitate exports. He said that one possible approach would be to base trade between the two countries on the lira and ruble rather than on the currently robust US dollar. The value of the lira has declined against the dollar considerably over the past couple of years, while the ruble has suffered as global oil prices dropped to record lows. Satıcı said that devaluation played a major role in the sluggish export performance during the last two months of 2014.

2014 was not an overall negative year for Mediterranean exporters, according to Satıcı, who said that the provinces of Antalya, Isparta and Burdur exported $1.638 million in fruits and vegetables to 151 different countries, a 6.1 percent increase from the previous year. Tomatoes and grapes were the two most exported products from the region in 2014. Satıcı said that exports in other area sectors such as mining, forestry products and the chemical industry had all increased exports between 25 and 30 percent last year.

After Russia banned imports from the EU, the US and other Western countries after it was slapped with sanctions for its annexation of Crimea, Turkish exporters in various sectors expressed their interest in increasing business or embarking on new ventures regarding Russia-bound exports.