Growth and standout products in Turkey's fresh fruit and vegetable exports at the start of 2026.
Turkey's fresh fruit and vegetable exports started 2026 with strong momentum. According to industry sources, exports in the first quarter of 2026 grew by approximately 35% compared to the same period the previous year. Mandarin played a notable role in this growth: according to industry data, mandarin accounted for around 33% of first-quarter 2026 exports — a sign that citrus remains the industry's winter engine.
In 2025, fresh fruit and vegetable exports reached approximately 3.7 billion USD according to industry sources, with the first half of the year (January-June) accounting for around 1.69 billion USD of that total. The industry's target for 2026 is cited at around 4.5 billion USD. The key dynamic behind this growth is export capacity expanding much faster than production, along with a quality/branding trend reflected in rising unit prices; buyers today expect not just volume, but variety diversity, a stable supply calendar, and traceability.
A longer-term trend, not a single-year spike
This momentum sits on top of a two-decade structural shift. Between 2002 and 2024, Turkey's fresh produce output grew by roughly 50%, while export volumes over the same period grew by more than 175% — meaning export capacity has expanded far faster than raw production. That gap points to a shift toward higher-value, export-oriented supply chains: better sorting, cold storage, and packaging infrastructure turning a larger share of each harvest into exportable, graded product rather than domestic bulk sale.
Alongside citrus, tomatoes, grapes, cherries, and apples make up important parts of the export basket depending on the season; European markets in particular lean toward citrus in winter and toward vegetables and stone fruit in summer. This seasonal diversity is an advantage rooted in Turkey's geographic breadth, spanning the Mediterranean coast to eastern Anatolia. The European Union, Russia and CIS countries, and Middle Eastern and Gulf markets remain the sector's primary destinations, with reefer-container shipping extending reach to more distant buyers.
Growth is increasingly about documentation, not just volume
A less-discussed side of this growth is that it is shaped as much by grading and documentation discipline as by tonnage. International buyers, particularly in the EU, expect produce sorted into recognized quality classes (Extra, Class I, Class II) under Codex Alimentarius and UNECE fresh-produce marketing standards, arriving with a valid phytosanitary certificate issued by Turkey's plant protection authorities for that specific consignment. Exporters who can consistently meet these grading and paperwork requirements — not simply those with the largest volumes — are best positioned to capture the growth the industry is targeting for 2026.
At MC Sarıkaya Gıda, we track this industry growth trend and keep our supply network and product portfolio up to date. You can check our Seasonal Calendar page for current harvest and supply status, and our Products page for variety details.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Turkey's fresh fruit and vegetable exports grow in early 2026?
Turkey's fresh fruit and vegetable exports grew by approximately 35% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period the previous year, with mandarin accounting for around 33% of that quarter's exports.
What is Turkey's 2026 export target for fresh produce?
The industry's target for 2026 is cited at around 4.5 billion USD, following roughly 3.7 billion USD in 2025.