ONE major obstacle to Turkey's cherry exports to China has been removed after the two nations agreed to revoke the condition that the cherries wait for 16 days in cold storage at one degree Celsius prior to export.
This marks a victory for Turkish businessmen who strove to gain permission to allow cherries, which have a short shelf life, to enter the Chinese market. The first cherry exports to China took place in August 2017 and are one of Turkey's most important agricultural exports, reported Istanbul's Daily Sabah.
The long waiting time for cherries under the former 'phytosanitary protocol for exporting Turkish cherry to China' had been the biggest hurdle for Turkish businesses exporting cherries to overcome.
The problem was resolved due to intensive efforts by the Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM) and their liasons with the Chinese government.
The head of Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters' Association Hayrettin Ucak told Anadolu Agency () that they follow all the processes regarding all fruits, starting from the point of being harvested to reaching consumers.
Mr Ucak said they want to produce healthy fruits that are free of pesticide residues. 'We made a great effort to enter the Chinese market for years. We exported cherries worth US$26,000 to the country in 2018,' he said.
'The new protocol has paved the way for exports. We have made a list of cherry exporters with the necessary qualifications. We have started with 15 companies this season. The fruit is very precious and sold in pieces in China. China is a huge market. With this market fully opened, we will not be dependent on one or two countries in exports,' Mr Ucak said.
He said a portion of the cherry exports to China will be made by airfreight, adding that their chief goal is to gain a foothold in this market. 'We foresee that the country could become the most important market for us in the medium term,' he added.
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This marks a victory for Turkish businessmen who strove to gain permission to allow cherries, which have a short shelf life, to enter the Chinese market. The first cherry exports to China took place in August 2017 and are one of Turkey's most important agricultural exports, reported Istanbul's Daily Sabah.
The long waiting time for cherries under the former 'phytosanitary protocol for exporting Turkish cherry to China' had been the biggest hurdle for Turkish businesses exporting cherries to overcome.
The problem was resolved due to intensive efforts by the Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM) and their liasons with the Chinese government.
The head of Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters' Association Hayrettin Ucak told Anadolu Agency () that they follow all the processes regarding all fruits, starting from the point of being harvested to reaching consumers.
Mr Ucak said they want to produce healthy fruits that are free of pesticide residues. 'We made a great effort to enter the Chinese market for years. We exported cherries worth US$26,000 to the country in 2018,' he said.
'The new protocol has paved the way for exports. We have made a list of cherry exporters with the necessary qualifications. We have started with 15 companies this season. The fruit is very precious and sold in pieces in China. China is a huge market. With this market fully opened, we will not be dependent on one or two countries in exports,' Mr Ucak said.
He said a portion of the cherry exports to China will be made by airfreight, adding that their chief goal is to gain a foothold in this market. 'We foresee that the country could become the most important market for us in the medium term,' he added.
WORLD SHIPPING