by Burak Akinci
ANKARA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Turkish cherry growers are delighted this year over the huge benefits of the newly opened Chinese market after restrictions on cherry exports had been eased up.
"We have had extremely good feedback from China. They are very satisfied with the quality, taste and aroma of our cherries. We, on the other hand, are very happy about the mutual dialogue with our business partners," Hayrettin Ucak, chairman of the Aegean Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Exporters Association, told Xinhua.
He said that Turkish growers have already fulfilled their yearly export target of 80,000 tons, thanks to the opening up of the Chinese market and favorable seasonal conditions in most parts of Turkey, generating record 183 million U.S. dollars in revenues.
Exports started in July after a protocol signed by the two countries to lift a previous condition stipulating that cherries must be stored in low temperature for 16 days before they could be exported to China, removing one of the biggest obstacles of Turkish cherry exports to China.
"We are very sensitive to the requests from our partners in China and try to do our best to satisfy their needs," Ucak pointed out, indicating that strict quality controls in Turkey and good interaction between Turkey and China have made the cherry trade a record high within only a few months.
The U.S.-China trade tension has reduced China's cherry imports from the United States, but increased imports from Turkey.
Thanks to new technologies, cherries from Turkey are now fumigated for three hours instead of going through days of cold storage to get rid of germs and insects before being exported to China, considerably reducing the shipping time.
Turkey is the fourth largest exporter of cherries in the world. However, only a fraction of it went to China, leaving plenty of room for potential growth.
With the new export policy this season, China has become the fourth-largest market of Turkish cherries, according to Turkish officials.
Turkish growers are already preparing for the next season, which they expect to generate better figures.
"We have already started preparing for the next season. We aim to swiftly increase cherry sales to China with new orchards and plantations," said Ucak.
He added that the farmers were ready to export various other kinds of fresh fruit to the Chinese market, including apricots, grapes, nectarines and peaches, in case there will be new agreements between the two states.
"We are happy, of course, because we want the entire world to taste our succulent cherries, and our cooperation with China is definitely growing stronger," said a cherry grower from the small town of Salihli in western Turkey, who preferred to remain unnamed.
"We have been told that our cherries were very appreciated there (in China). We are happy," said the farmer who runs a family business.
Turkish exporters had been making an effort and concentrating on Chinese market for years, said Senih Yazgan, vice chairman of the Uludag Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters' Association, to the state-run Anadolu news agency.
He noted that the Chinese market was essential for Turkish exporters, adding that the amount of exports was high despite they started only in the middle of the season.
The long waiting time during the shipment of cherries, which have a short shelf life, had been the biggest obstacle for Turkish entrepreneurs to export cherries to China.
The problem is now overcome thanks to intensive efforts by the two countries' authorities.
"Next year, we will increase the figures by calculating them in thousands of tons as the Chinese market is now a viable one," remarked the local farmers executive.
