“Turkey is back in the fresh produce game and stronger than ever”

Esra Soyleyen, Aksun “Turkey is back in the fresh produce game and stronger than ever”

Turkish produce has come a long way and is ever expanding in the German market. Speaking with Esra Soyleyen, managing partner at Aksun, she states that there were issues with quality in the past, but the Turkish produce and the method of cultivation has significantly improved. To ensure Aksun keeps growing, the company has made some investments in their machinery.

GETTING TURKISH PRODUCE BACK IN GOOD GRACES WITHIN THE GERMAN MARKET

Turkish products had a bad reputation with German retailers for a while, because of the pesticide issues many years ago. After that period, most of the Turkish products were distributed on the wholesale market. “As Aksun, we’d like to change the impression that exists, as a lot of action has been taken on the Turkish side and Turkey has become one of the strongest fruit and vegetable suppliers in the world, with full traceability and food safety conditions. To sum up; Germany is one of the biggest target markets for Aksun and we would like to expand our volumes in the region.”

“Our offering to the German market includes citrus (lemon, grapefruit, orange, and mandarin), pomegranates, kiwi, watermelon, figs, sugar apricot, sultana grapes, cherry, quinces, and some vegetables depending on shortage. For instance, this season there was a tomato shortage in Europe. Our strongest product is citrus for sure. This is more then 70 per cent of our total export volume, but there are some other products that are growing significantly. These products are pomegranates, black figs, and kiwis.”

INVESTMENTS TO IMPROVE QUALITY EVEN FURTHER

Aksun has been growing in a steady pace for years, and Soyleyen says that as of five years ago, they are one of the largest pomegranate exporters: “We export over 7,000 tons of pomegranates, including conventional and industrial lines. We bought our first machine three years ago and are now ordering the second automated pomegranate line, with an optic scanner, and are nearly finished setting it up. So, we are planning to start the 2023 pomegranate season by adding this new packing line for poms into our packhouse. Hopefully this will also help us to expand our volume as well as improve the quality, because this new line will have a more modern scanner system to catch possible internal issues like Alternaria.” “We’ve also just finished the new pomegranate cold room; 14 cold rooms with a capacity of 4,800 tons of storage. To add to our investments, we’re close to making a deal for a new apple and kiwi packing line as well. And for the near future we’ve already started to work on a new product and new citrus packing lines that work autonomously, because labour and having a single standard on quality will be the key in the coming years. On the other hand, our Research and Development Department is continuously doing trials

to increase the shelf life of our products. We believe that increasing the shelf life of the goods will have a significant impact on food waste and through this, protection of environment.”

STEADILY GROWING IN THE GERMAN MARKET

Although Aksun already has a solid presence in the German market, Soyleyen feels there’s always room to grow. In fact, the company expects no less than 2 to 3 per cent of annual growth: “Germany is the biggest importer among European countries. Even if there is a certain potential of export, we expect a 2-3 per cent growth in the German market each year. Turkey has a rich soil and has an ability to grow most of the fruits and vegetables. Our duty is to understand customers demand and search for new products as well as the latest improvements to share with our producers and inform our customers about the latest expectations of our experienced producers.”

“Now is the right time to explain to the largest retailer chains in Germany that some mistakes happened maybe 10 to 15 years ago, but many things have changed since then, and Turkey is back in the game and stronger than ever. Turkey has taken the lessons onboard and is now offering better quality and all in accordance with European norms. Over time, our quality level increased with experience. We are able to offer specific packaging types. Especially after COVID-19, we can offer smaller packages, which we call take and go, to prevent touching the produce as much as possible. Since our main customers are retailers, we are always trying to answer our customers’ specific demands. The usage of plastic is getting lower and lower as a trend, but this isn’t unique to just Germany but also with many other retailers in Europe. So we are trying to use less punnets and enforce the change from plastics to paper liners.”

LIFE AFTER COVID

Now that the effects of the pandemic are becoming less prominent, the life of visiting trade shows will finally get back to normal. Soyleyen is very pleased they’ll be able to meet their clients: “Ever since COVID-19 hit the world, we’ve not been able to attend trade exhibitions. It has been a long time since we met with our partners. So during Fruit Logistica, before we got to business, we enjoyed a lovely coffee with them. A big hug makes a big difference after this many years without seeing each other. It was nearly the end of our citrus season, so for us it was a good time to discuss the past citrus season and make plans for the upcoming stone fruits and exotic fruits for 2022.”

“Post-COVID, eating habits have changed and people tend to eat healthier. Consumers are more likely to increase their consumption of fruit and vegetable if they perceive that it is convenient and easily accessible in supermarkets and convenience stores. Some organizations as well as supermarkets provide knowledge and information to increase awareness of healthy diets. They are running campaigns for children to change their eating habits from a young age. As Aksun, we always support those activities and try to be a part of them as much as possible,” Soyleyen concludes.

esra.soyleyen@aksun.com.tr

Specialist in apples, pears and strawberries

www.bpfruitcraft.com

BP FruitCraft BVBA

Heerstraat 16A, 3470 Kortenaken Tel. +32 11960939

Wendy Bangels +32 470951032

Tim Pittevils +32 470957905

Fruit export

The Limelon has become an indispensable part of our product range!

Three seasons after the launch of the Limelon, the product still has not reached its full potential. The demand for the unique specialty melon continues to grow. The Limelon, a unique melon with a surprisingly fresh bite

Let us introduce you the Limelon. The Limelon can not be compared with any other melon on the current market. The melon can best be described as sweet and juicy with a fresh bite. This fresh bite can be compared with the taste of lime, hence the name Limelon. Besides that, the Limelon has a Brix of 13-14 with a long shelflife of more than 3 weeks, which makes it a valuable addition to the melon market. The unique flavour experience makes it a special and surprising product for consumers. ‘’When people try the Limelon for the first time they are always very surprised by the unique combination of sweet and sour in a melon,’’ According to Geerten van Luttikhuizen, account manager of the Limelon at HillFresh International.

Cultivation and availability

‘’The biggest challenges for the Limelon at the moment are in the area of availability and cultivation. We want to deliver our customers the best quality year-round and that is why our goal is to cultivate the Limelon year-round on multiple continents. Last year, HillFresh was involved in trials in Morocco, Brazil, Honduras, and Costa Rica.’’

‘’We are constantly working to improve the chain of the Limelon. We have experienced that every county and continent presents different challenges for the cultivation of the Limelon. Therefore it is important to innovate constantly and not to stand still in the process,’’ says Geerten.

With years of experience in delivering quality melons, HillFresh works together with its best cultivation partners. This is to ensure that the volumes of the Limelon are of excellent quality. ‘’For the cultivation of a new melon, you need partners who have a love for the trade. The development of a good product with a consistent quality goes further than planting a seed. This requires passionate cultivation partners who keep a close eye on the growing process,’’ says Geerten.

Quality is the key to success

“It is beautiful to see that all the time invested in the Limelon is starting to pay off. For the third consecutive season, we have managed to guarantee our quality well. Because the consumer can only be convinced with consistent quality to purchase the Limelon. Every day we strive with our partners to do it just that little bit better than yesterday in order to provide our customers with the best quality products.

Start of Spanish melon season

‘’The Spanish melon season is just around the corner and so far it looks like we are going to have a great summer with the Limelon,’’ says Geerten van Luttikhuizen. ‘’The majority of the volumes will go to our regular Limelon customers. For those interested in possible Limelon samples feel free to contact us through the contact information below or by scanning the QR code on the back of the magazine.’’

More information

Geerten van Luttikhuizen HillFresh International B.V. Tel: +31(0)180-898060 geerten@hillfresh.eu www.hillfresh.eu