Food Turkey Magazine May 2019

Breaking down Turkey’s food
processing sector
The food and beverage sector covers
roughly 19.7% of Turkey’s $718.2 billion
GDP, according to a United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
report, giving it a market valuation in
the region of $141.4 billion. Turkish
food and drink exports total around
$15 billion annually, so you can image
the economic importance of the production
industry.
Turkey is a world leader in the production
and processing of hazelnuts, apricots,
figs, cherries, sour cherries, quinces,
raisins, and poppy seeds. Emerging
sectors include frozen and canned
goods, olive and vegetable oil, seafood
and alcoholic beverages.
There are over 42,000 registered producers
operating in the country, according
to the Turkish Federation of
Food Beverage and Industry Associations.
Roughly 95% are small or medium
enterprises (SMEs). q
50 Food & Ingredients TURKEY May 2019