Türkiye’s cherry exports reached $235 million in the first seven-plus months of 2026, marking a dramatic recovery from a severe frost that devastated last year’s crop, an exporters’ trade group has reported.
Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 10, Turkish producers shipped 68,737 metric tons of cherries overseas, an 11-fold increase in volume compared to the 6,040 metric tons exported during the same period in 2025, according to data from the Aegean Exporters’ Associations (EİB).
Revenue quadrupled from the $47.7 million generated during the cold-damaged 2025 season.
Türkiye is the world’s largest producer of cherries and ranks among the top four global exporters. A severe freeze during the flowering period in 2025 severely curtailed yield, driving down foreign sales, but orchards rebounded strongly this season.
“We experienced a notable performance in exports this year,” said Cengiz Balık, president of the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters’ Association. “Compared to the same period last year, we saw roughly an 11-fold increase in export quantity and a fourfold increase in value.”
Exporters also expanded their global reach, shipping cherries to 52 destination countries this year, up from 34 in 2025.
Germany was the top destination for Turkish cherries, purchasing $74 million worth of the fruit, followed by the Russian Federation at $67.5 million, Poland at $29 million and Iraq at $26.5 million.
Balık said that if favorable weather conditions persist, the industry aims to reach $250 million in cherry export revenue in 2027.
