Turkey to Resume Tomato Exports to Russia

On March 7, after a month-long disruption due to the yearly quota limit, Turkish tomato exports to Russia have resumed. Moscow decided to lift the yearly quote from 150,000 MT to 200,000 MT after some containers carrying Turkish tomatoes were returned last month, saying that the quotas were already met.

“We exported 98,000 MT of tomatoes to Russia in 2019. Turkish exporters can send 50,000 MT [of tomatoes] in a couple of months. Thus, we want the quote to be removed completely,” said Hayrettin Uçak, chairman of the Aegean Union of Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters.

Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan and Agriculture Minister Bekir Pakdemirli are in talks with their Russian counterparts to lift the quotes in bilateral trade and they expect the trade diplomacy to bear fruits in the upcoming months, said Uçak.

Turkey’s tomato exports to Russia increased 181% in 2019, bringing the country a total of $74.5 million.

In January 2016, after Turkey downed a Russian fighter jet violating its airspace, Russia banned imports of Turkish fruits and vegetables including tomatoes, oranges, apples, apricots, cabbage, broccoli, mandarins, pears, peaches, cucumbers, plums, strawberries, onions, cloves, and poultry.

Russia relaxed these trade sanctions during the summer of 2017.

www.freshplaza.com

Russia Proposes Raising Turkish Tomato Import Quota by 50,000 MT

January 31, Russia’s Agriculture Ministry proposed increasing Turkey’s tomato import quota by 50,000 MT to 200,000 MT, the RIA news agency reported.

Russia lifted a ban on vegetable imports from Turkey in November 2017 but set quotas as tensions between the two countries eased after Ankara apologized for downing a Russian military jet.

www.reuters.com

Turkish Tomato Exports to Russia on Rise, Totaling $86 Million in 2019

Turkey’s tomato exports to the Russian Federation saw a 186% increase in 2019, compared with the previous year, reaching $86.05 million in value.

According to the Southeastern Anatolia Exporters’ Association (GAİB), the country’s overall tomato exports totaled around $304.5 million in 2019, with exports to 56 countries around the world recorded at $291.8 million in 2018.

Russia ranked first among countries to which Turkish exporters sent tomatoes, with a total of $86.05 million in revenue, increasing from $30.6 million in 2018. Romania and Ukraine followed with export volumes worth $36.4 million and $30.01 million, respectively.

Greenhouse Investors and Producers Association (SERA-BİR) and GAP Greenhouse Gardeners Association Chairman Müslüm Yanmaz told Anadolu Agency that 2019 saw a decline in crop volume due to seasonal conditions, which did not reflect negatively on exports.

Yanmaz said that exporters sought to bring the tomato export volume to the levels prior to a diplomatic row between Ankara and Moscow after Turkey downed a Russian aircraft that violated Turkish airspace in March 2015.

In January 2016, Russia banned imports of Turkish fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, oranges, apples, apricots, cabbage, broccoli, mandarins, pears, peaches, cucumbers, plums, strawberries, onions, cloves and poultry.

However, in the summer of 2017, Moscow relaxed trade sanctions placed on the country.

Official data demonstrated that Turkey’s fresh tomato exports in 2014 were valued at $426 million while $275 million of this amount came from exports to Russia, which signifies that Russia alone constituted 65% of Turkey’s fresh tomato exports.

Yanmaz noted that exporters were actively in search of other new markets, including China.

www.dailysabah.com

Russia to Double Tomato Imports from Turkey, Agriculture Minister Pakdemirli says

Russia will double the quota on tomato imports from Turkey, Turkey’s Agriculture and Forestry Minister said on Saturday.

Bekir Pakdemirli was in the German capital of Berlin within the scope of the 11th Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference.

Speaking to reporters at Turkish Embassy in Berlin after the conference, Pakdemirli said he negotiated the issue with his Russian counterpart.

“One of our greatest advantages is that we have increased our 50,000 tons tomato quota to 100,000 tons,” he said.

In January 2016, after Turkey downed a Russian fighter jet violating its airspace, Russia banned imports of Turkish fruits and vegetables including tomatoes, oranges, apples, apricots, cabbage, broccoli, mandarins, pears, peaches, cucumbers, plums, strawberries, onions, cloves, and poultry.

However, Russia relaxed trade sanctions placed on Turkey during the summer of 2017.

www.dailysabah.com

Russia Lifts Sanctions on All Turkish Tomato Exporters

Russia has lifted sanctions on Turkish tomato exporters, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on April 27, citing Turkey’s Economy Ministry. Russia’s decision will completely pave the way for Turkey’s tomato export to Russia, the ministry said in a statement.

The move came after a meeting held between officials from the Turkish Economy Ministry and Russian Agricultural Ministry on April 26, the statement said.

It recalled that a limited number of Turkish tomato exporters were allowed by the Russian Agricultural Ministry to sell products to Russia. That nation had also imposed a 50,000-ton quota on imported tomatoes from Turkey in October 2017.

In January 2016, after Turkey downed a Russian fighter jet violating its airspace, Russia banned imports of Turkish fruits and vegetables including tomatoes, oranges, apples, apricots, cabbage, broccoli, mandarins, pears, peaches, cucumbers, plums, strawberries, onions, cloves, and poultry.

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Turkish export figures of fruits and veg to Russia first quarter of 2018

Turkey has exported 74,119 MTof mandarin to Russia in the first quarter of 2018 and generated a revenue of $42.3 million USD in return.

East Black Sea Region Exporters Association President Ahmet Hamdi Gurdogan: “In order to develop the trade relations between two countries, it is imperative to lift the restrictions and form strategic partnerships. This is the only way two countries can full fill its potential in trade relations.”

According to the released figures, the exports of mandarin increased 31 % in volume and 36% in value compared to the first quarter of 2017. Mandarin is followed by lemon with 50,375 MT, oranges with 32,325 MT and apples with 22,625 MT.

From the East Black Sea Region in the same period, 51,196 MT of fruits and vegetables are exported to Russia generating a revenue of $30.8 million. 21,401 MT of these exports were mandarins which accounted for $12.2 million in trade.

President Ahmet Hamdi Gurdogan: ”The numbers display a 91% increase in exports of fruits and vegetables to Russia compared to last year’s first quarter. The rise in revenue is actually even higher at 112%. Turkey exports fruits and vegetables to Russia mostly and it has become the primary for Turkish fruits and vegetables. It is a huge market and we are trying to improve our share in this market even more. That’s why we select our best products for exports and Russian consumers started to prefer specifically Turkish products.

Most of the restrictions imposed by Russia which were put in place in 2016 due to political crisis between two countries, have already been lifted. However there are still some remaining restrictions regarding tomato exports where only certain firms are granted permission to export tomatoes. This creates unfair competitive environment for our growers and we would like this restriction to be removed as well. This way more Turkish growers will be able to export their tomatoes to Russia and Russian consumers will be able to access the products at a better price.

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Russian fruit and vegetable imports partially recovered

When compared to the previous year, Russian imports of fresh fruit and vegetables have increased considerably over the last year. A total of 7,1 million MT was imported, 17% more than in 2016. It is, however, not nearly as much as in 2013. In the year before the boycott came into force, Russia imported almost 8,5 million MT of fresh fruit and vegetables.

The (partial) recovery of the imports is, firstly, due to the boycott of various Turkish products being lifted in 2017. In addition, a record volume of (Ecuadorian) bananas and products from other countries were imported. The most important of these countries are China, Egypt, Azerbaijan, and Moldova. The record volume of banana imports is particularly noticeable. Last year, Russia surpassed Germany and is now the second largest importer of bananas in the world, besides the United States. Russia also imported a record volume of mandarins, it’s second most popular import product. Russia is by far this product’s most important import country. Russia’s import volumes of all other regularly consumed products also rose in 2017. This country’s import volumes of lesser-known products, such as kaki, garlic, watermelon, celery, avocado, and mangoes, also reached record highs in the past year. (more…)

Agricultural Watchdog Allows Five More Turkish Enterprises to Supply Tomatoes to Russia

Russian agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor has allowed five more Turkish enterprises to supply tomatoes to Russia from February 1, 2018, the regulator said in a press release.The permission was granted under the guarantee of the Turkish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock.

Experts of Rosselkhoznadzor inspected those enterprises in December 2017. “The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control informs that from February 1, 2018, under the guarantees of Turkey’s Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, it allowed five more enterprises to import tomatoes of the Turkish origin into the territory of the Russian Federation,” the ministry said.

Russia imposed a ban on imports of a number of farming products from Turkey from January 1, 2016 following the November 2015 incident with a Russian Su-24 fighter jet that was downed Turkish warplanes while returning from an anti-terrorism mission in Syria.

In November 2017, Russia allowed imports of up to 50,000 tonnes of tomatoes from Turkey. So far only three Turkish suppliers have been granted permits to supply tomatoes to Russia. The first shipment of tomatoes was delivered in mid-November 2017.

www.tass.com

Turkish Tomatoes Going to Russia from 1 November

Four Turkish tomato exporters have been granted permission to export to Russia. Russia has, however, set a quota limit of 50,000 MT for the export of Turkish tomatoes.

According to the Russian Minister of Energy and Vice Chairman of the Russian-Turkish intergovernmental Commission, “The decision was taken to amend the regulations, thus granting four companies permission to ship 50,000 MT of tomatoes to Russia.” The first Turkish tomatoes should arrive in Russia since 1 November.

Russia banned the import of vegetables and fruits from Turkey on January 1, 2016, after the Russian-Turkish conflict over a Russian Su-24 plane. Restrictions were lifted gradually, only the import of Turkish tomatoes remains under the ban. Until January 1, 2016, they had the biggest share of Turkish vegetable exports to Russia – 360,000 MT a year.

www.freshplaza.com, www.interfax.ru