Turkey has started to reap the fruits of the investments it has made in the olive industry in the last 20 years. The Turkish olive sector, which increased its olive tree presence from 90 million in 2002 to over 192 million, increased its exports from 220 million dollars to 537 million dollars with an increase of 144 percent in the first half of the 2022-23 season.
Olive oil exports made the biggest contribution to the record increase in exports of the olive growing sector. The olive oil sector, which reached a record yield of 422 thousand tons in the 2022-23 season, converted this yield into foreign currency and exported 92 thousand 143 tons of olive oil in the first half of the 2022/23 season, providing Turkey with a foreign exchange income of 407.6 million dollars.
Turkey’s olive oil export record of 92 thousand tons in the 2012-13 season was surpassed in the first half of the 2022-23 season, while the 292 million dollar olive oil export figure in the 2012-13 season was improved by 40 percent this season.
The 2021-22 Season was Also Successful in Turkey’s Olive Industry
Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters’ Association President Davut Er informed that Turkey’s olive oil exports had a successful period in the 2021-22 season as well. Er said, “The 2021/2022 season has been very productive especially for our olive oil exports. When we look at our export figures, compared to the previous season, it increased by 32 percent from 44 thousand tons to 58 thousand tons, and the amount increased by 49 percent from $ 135 million to $ 201 million.”
Packaged Olive Oil Exports Increased by 32 Percent
Speaking at the 2022 ordinary financial general assembly of the Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters’ Association, held at the Aegean Exporters’ Associations Conference Hall, EZZİB President Davut Er continued his words as follows; “Especially, our packaged olive oil exports increased by 32 percent from 22 thousand tons to 29 thousand tons this season. We exported packaged olive oil worth US$107.7 million in total. I see the rise in our export of packaged olive oil, especially as a product with high added value, as an extremely important development for our industry. We have a high quality olive oil production according to world standards, and seeing the increase in the export of these oils in packaging makes us happy and gives us hope in reaching our export targets.”
We Exported Olive Oil with More Added Value
Underlining that they added a new link to Turkey’s olive oil export success in the 2022/23 season, President Er said, “Turkey’s olive oil exports reached 407.6 million dollars, corresponding to 92 thousand 143 tons between 1 November 2022 and 24 April 2023. Our sector increased its exports from 220 million dollars to 537 million dollars with an increase of 144 percent in the first half of the 2022-23 season with its olive and olive oil exports. We expect the exports of our industry to reach 1 billion dollars in 2023. We are striving to reach the export figure of 1 billion dollars, which seems like a dream for our industry, on the 100th anniversary of our Republic. In the first half of this season, we have reached the export figures of the 2012/13 season, in which Turkey exports the most olive oil, in terms of quantity. In terms of foreign exchange income, we achieved a 40 percent increase in exports. These figures are an indication that we exported our olive oil with more added value this season.”
Pointing out that the olive oil sector made the biggest contribution to the export performance of the olive industry with an amount of 407.6 million dollars, to the export performance of 537 million dollars in the first half of the 2022/23 season, Er said, 81.5 million dollars in black olive exports, 28.4 million dollars in green olive exports and pomace exports, He emphasized that they have reached an export level of 19.6 million dollars.
Underlining that Turkey aims to produce 650 thousand tons of olive oil and 1 million 200 thousand tons of table olives annually with the presence of 192 million olive trees, EZZİB President Davut Er said that when these figures are reached, it will become the second in the world in olive oil production and the first in the world in the production of packaged olive oil. He added that a new support model should be implemented in order to increase exports.
In the general assembly of the Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters’ Association, the 2023 budget was accepted as 14 million 500 thousand TL, and the 2023 work program was also decided.