Turkey's agricultural exports rise despite pandemic

By Aysu Bicer

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's agriculture-based exports have increased by 6.3% year-on-year in the first nine months of 2020, a senior official said Tuesday.

"We have seen the advantages of the strong infrastructure we created in agriculture during the pandemic period," said Forestry and Agriculture Minister Bekir Pakdemirli in a written statement.

Citing the government's support for fields, garden, greenhouse, barn and pasture production, he underlined that Turkey was not facing any problems in the production, stock or supply chain of basic food products.

Referring to new measures against the novel coronavirus concerning the sector, Pakdemir said production and manufacturing facilities would be able to remain open exempt from curfews.

Crop and livestock producers will once again be exempt from the prohibitions, he said.

"In 18 years, our agricultural exports increased from $3.7 billion to $18 billion. Turkey has been exporting 1,827 kinds of agricultural products to 193 countries."

Emphasizing that the agriculture-forest sector in Turkey continued to grow by the day, Pakdemirli said the yield had increased by 47% over the last two years, reaching 277.5 billion liras ($34.5 billion)

"Turkey, with an agricultural yield worth $48.7 billion, has been a leader in Europe and among the top 10 in the world," he added.

Agriculture has progressed ahead of many sectors with growth of 4% in the second quarter of 2020, Pakdemirli said, adding that the sector would continue to add strength to the economy by closing this year with significant growth.