29 August 2009 / TODAY'S ZAMAN WITH WIRES, İSTANBUL
Turkey's produce exporters have set their sights on Japan, expecting to establish a trade bridge with the country as part of efforts to diversify export markets amid difficulties experienced due to the ongoing global financial crisis.
Turkey Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Union (TYMSİB) joint executive board President Kemal Kaçmaz said on Friday that they expect to reach an annual $2 billion in fresh fruit and vegetable exports and that the Japanese market could play an important role to this end. Recalling that Turkey's fresh fruit and produce exports totaled $1.06 billion in the first seven months of this year, Kaçmaz said the sector has increased its exports in the past five years, particularly to neighboring markets. “Having raised the bar in exports, we expect to open to the Far Eastern economies in the coming few months,” he said, adding that a committee from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture had recently visited Turkey to prepare a comprehensive report on the country's produce sector, evaluating the possibility of initiating produce imports from Turkey. “We expect a positive response from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture soon,” Kaçmaz said, stressing that Japan has a wide distribution network in its region. He said a group of Japanese businessmen were due to arrive in Turkey in November to meet with their Turkish counterparts.
