This year, ornamental plants and products sector exported $140 million from Turkiye to 73 countries. The countries with the most exports were England, Germany, Romania and Bulgaria.
The flower industry, which extends the season to 12 months with greenhouse and plateau production, achieves significant exports in cut flowers, indoor and outdoor plants, flower bulbs, seedlings, saplings, wreaths and moss.
Turkiye, which has more than 3,500 endemic plant species in its flora, sells flowers to 73 countries, especially the Netherlands.
Ismail Yilmaz, President of the Ornamental Plants and Products Exporters Association, said that they completed the year in ornamental plants exports with Christmas wreaths and New Year’s decorations.
Stating that ornamental plants were also negatively affected by the economic crisis in the world, Yilmaz stated that despite this, they will close the year with exports of $140 million.
Stating that this figure is an important success in the face of what is happening both in the world and in Turkiye, Yilmaz said:
“We send flowers to 73 countries from Turkiye. We send ornamental plants from Turkiye to most of the countries in the world. The Netherlands is our most important market, we send very serious flowers to the Netherlands. Among the countries we export the most to, England, Germany, Romania and Bulgaria are in the top five. We also send a significant amount of cut flowers to Ukraine and Russia. We ship a lot of outdoor products to the Gulf countries and the Turkish republics.”
Diversity in flowers is increased
Yilmaz emphasized that the locomotive flower in exports is carnation. Stating that they export the most carnations from Turkiye and that most of them are produced in Antalya, Yilmaz noted that in recent years they have started to export the flower known as husnuyusuf to a significant extent.
Stating that they attach importance to product diversity in exports, Yilmaz said, “Our flower and greenery group has also started to take a share from the market. We hope that we can quickly increase the diversity and increase our export figures. Our potential in terms of products is high.”
Job opportunities for 300 thousand people
Explaining that the most production in the flower industry is made in Antalya, Yilmaz stated that production can be made in summer and winter with the expansion of production areas throughout the country.
Stating that production is done in greenhouses in Antalya in winter and in regions such as Isparta in summer, Yilmaz said, “We have a production area of nearly 60 thousand decares in Turkiye. Cut flowers are grown in an area of 12 thousand decares, indoor plants are grown in an area of 5 thousand decares, and outdoor product groups are grown in the remaining area. We are a sector that provides employment opportunities to 100 thousand people directly and 300 thousand people indirectly.”
Source: Trthaber / Prepared by Irem Yildiz