Ege Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters' Association, which accounted for 22% of Türkiye's $6 billion in fresh fruit and vegetable and processed fruit and vegetable exports in 2024, earning the country $1 billion 314 million in foreign exchange, honored the 45 member companies that contributed most to this achievement.
The Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, which generated USD 1 billion 314 million in foreign exchange for Turkey by executing 22% of the country's USD 6 billion fresh fruit, vegetable and processed fruit and vegetable exports in 2024, rewarded its 45 members who made the greatest contribution to this success.
The Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association's 2024 ordinary general assembly meeting also hosted the "Export Stars Awards Ceremony."
Speaking at the general assembly and awards ceremony, Aegean Exporters Associations Coordinator Deputy Chairman and Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association Chairman Hayrettin Uçak stated that 2024 went down in history as a difficult struggle year for exporters.
"The continued economic stagnation in Europe, the U.S. election year, and wars and unrest affecting the world were the main factors negatively impacting our exports. Despite this, we managed to bring our fresh fruit, vegetable and processed fruit and vegetable exports to USD 1 billion 314 million together. Across Turkey, fresh fruit, vegetable and processed fruit and vegetable exports exceeded the USD 6 billion threshold for the first time in our history. I thank all exporters who contributed to this success," he said.
Uçak, expressing that they continued their struggle in 2024 to resolve the problems of exporters, continued as follows: "The finest example of our struggle is the removal of the minimum price requirement for special request analyses that concluded in our favor in recent days. Following intensive meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the minimum price application by specialized laboratories affecting all food products and creating additional costs for our exporters ended with the regulation published in the Official Gazette on 27 March 2025.
Thus we provided our exporting firms with significant cost advantages. We also conducted visits to the Trade and Agriculture Ministries together with our Board Members to remove restrictions on tomato paste and frozen potato exports. After intense efforts, we succeeded in removing these restrictions as well."
Uçak emphasized that following meetings and bilateral discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry regarding exports to Russia, the leading market for fresh fruit sector exports, they secured the end of the plastic seal application on products exported to the Russian Federation as of 1 January 2025. He stated, "As of 14 January 2025, the final exit inspection conducted by the Samsun Agricultural Quarantine Directorate was also eliminated. Our efforts to remove the responsible consultant application are ongoing. I believe we will share this good news with you very soon."
We took 600 samples
Providing information about the work they conducted within the framework of the "We Know the Pesticides We Use Project" implemented to prevent pesticide residues in fresh fruit and vegetable products produced in the Aegean Region, Uçak stated that they analyzed 600 samples in 2024 and would intensify awareness-raising meetings with farmers in production areas starting next month.
"Third Generation Agricultural Entrepreneurship Training Program" held for the second time
Chairman Uçak, providing information that they held the "Third Generation Agricultural Entrepreneurship Training Program" aimed at attracting youth to the agriculture sector for the second time in 2024, said, "Through cooperation with Ege University Faculty of Agriculture, we completed and reported the 'Food Loss Identification and Reduction Project' in which we identified the causes of losses in mandarin, tomato and pomegranate products and aimed to reduce them.
As a result of our intensive efforts, we pioneered the holding of the 'Interfresh Fair' in İzmir and left behind a highly successful fair in 2024, demonstrating İzmir's hosting capacity. We launched a new 'URGE Project' with 44 of our member firms and completed the project's needs analysis and training phases. We are conducting our first overseas activity at the end of this month. We have continued to visit our members always and listen to your concerns. In 2025, let no member of ours doubt that this dedicated work will continue. For our association, for our members, for all our stakeholders; we will continue to work, achieve, and sign new projects," he concluded.
At the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association's ordinary general assembly, the Board of Directors and Audit Board were unanimously discharged for their 2024 activities, while the 2025 work program and budget were approved.
The firms that received awards at the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association's "Export Stars Awards Ceremony" were as follows:
Fresh fruit and vegetable sector exports over USD 10 million category;
UÇAK KARDEŞLER
KÖLLA TURKEY
PİA-FRUCHT
Fresh fruit and vegetable sector exports over USD 5 million category;
CENA DIŞ TİCARET
ALANAR
ENJOY TRADE
Fresh fruit and vegetable sector exports over USD 3 million category;
ZEYPA GIDA
VARDAR FRUİT
EGEMEN GÜBRE
YUSUF BEYAZIT TARIM
MENKUR
KORUK ORGANİK ŞENOL HOCAOĞLU
PL USE GIDA
CEYLAN SMYRNA TARIM
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