Turkish pomegranates draw increasing attention

Pomegranate producers in Tarsus, a town in the Mediterranean city of Mersin, aim to make higher profits as Iran, the world’s top pomegranate supplier, is likely to see low yields this year.

Turkey ranks second in pomegranate production, and plantations cover nearly 45,000 dunams in Tarsus, which is on the sixth spot in terms of pomegranate cultivation, said Ali Ergezer, chairman of the Tarsus Chamber of Agriculture.

Due to high demand in domestic and foreign market, the pomegranate on a land of 500 dunams was sold while still on branch prior to harvest, said Ergezer. “But the producers that hear about the developments in Iran reject the merchants who offer prices between 80 kuruş and 1 Turkish Lira for a kilogram. The producers aim to keep the product and sell at or over 1.5 liras.”

The area of pomegranate plantations, which totaled 500 dunams 10 years ago, has reached 100,000 dunams with incentives, Ergezer said. “This year, 40 percent of the total planted area will be harvested in the middle of November. Due to climate conditions, the quality and yield will surpass expectations.”

Around 70 percent of the products are exported, mainly to Ukraine, Russia, Germany and Romania, he said. “According to latest data, this year’s aggregate yield is expected to be around 300,000 tons, with nearly 200,000 tons for exports.”

Adding new export markets

Last year, 115,000 tons of pomegranates were exported, Ergezer said, adding that the figure may double in case of getting efficiency in 60 percent of the planted area in Tarsus.

In case of harvesting all area, the yield will reach 1.5 million tons, making Tarsus number one in the world’s pomegranate production, according to Ergezer.

The seeds of the pomegranate of “hicaz” type produced in the region are consumed as a fruit while its trunk, root and branch bark as well as fruit rinds are used for medical purposes.

“The producers in the Mediterranean climate zone orient toward pomegranate in their search for alternative products. There are noteworthy efforts to increase pomegranate production area and yield. There is a high opportunities in the market and very low loss risk for pomegranate producers. We have initiatives to export to more countries the pomegranate, which is good for human health, particularly in terms of cardiovascular diseases.”

Meanwhile, Bedrullah Erçin, head of the provincial directorate of agriculture in the southern city of Antalya, said that the pomegranate plantation areas are rising recently.

The pomegranate production nationwide was 59,000 tons on 46,750 decares of land in 2000, and the figure rose to 127,760 tons on 176,000 decares, he said, adding that European countries have started to show great attention in pomegranates.

Some 10,840 tons of pomegranates were exported in 2006 but the figure climbed to 12,219 tons in 2007 and 28,788 tons last year. Within the first half of this year, Turkey’s pomegranate export totaled 5,596 tons, Erçin said.

The value of the exports amounted to $11.13 million in 2006, $15.05 million in 2007 and $27.67 million last year. For the first six months of this year, the export figure is $5.65 million, he said.

Erçin said cotton plantations have narrowed with the improvement in tourism and greenhouse cultivation, and pomegranate has started to loom large. “Being unable to earn anything from cotton, producers and investors have changed cotton plantations into pomegranate orchards. Antalya’s cotton plantation areas dropped from 400-500,000 decares to 50-60,000 decares in the last 10 years, as producers have oriented toward alternative products.”

Pomegranate cultivation rose 40 percent in Antalya, he said. “Last year, pomegranate cultivation totaled 55,739 tons. The city covers around 44 percent of Turkey’s pomegranate need. Pomegranate export has caught citrus exports.”

If the pomegranate plantation areas do not increase in Turkey’s rivals, Iran, Spain and Greece, Turkey may have voice in the world in terms of pomegranate exports, he said.