Turkey expects smaller citrus crop
While prices received by producers have not increased significantly, production costs such as fuel, fertilisers, labour have risen rapidly due to the weak currency and high inflation. Citrus exports in 2020/21 are expected to be down due to logistical problems with neighbouring countries and Saudi Arabian sanctions on Turkish products. Tangerines account for 34% of total citrus exports, followed by oranges (25%), lemons (24%) and grapefruit (17%). In 2019/20, the Russian market received 28% of Turkey’s citrus exports due to geographic proximity, strong logistical infrastructure, and high demand. Turkish citrus exports to the EU were up in 2019/20, but there was a shortage of immigrant labourers from North Africa as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.