The Assessment of Turkey’s Competitiveness in Cherry Trade

Abstract

Cherries are a fruit that thrives in warm climates and has a robust presence in the global market. As cherry production areas expand, there is a corresponding increase in demand for this fruit worldwide. The trade of agricultural products has gained importance with the development of global trade. Cherries have a crucial place in Turkish agricultural exports. Fresh cherries are in the scope of this study. This study examines Turkey's position in the global cherry trade, specifically in the fresh cherry market. Turkey is a leading country in cherry production and plantation area and has seen an average annual export growth of 18.4% between 2001 and 2020. However, Turkey's share in the world cherry market has decreased from 14% to 5.9% due to low unit export value. Chile, the USA, Hong Kong, Austria, Spain, and Canada are significant cherry exporters, with Chile dominating the market with a 72.5% share in 2020. The Trade Intensity Analysis Method which represents the course of trade flow among countries is used in the study. The study indicates that European countries which are Turkey’s traditional trade partner has the biggest trade share with Turkey and that share did not much change over the years. By the way, the Asia market especially China, became a game-changer in cherry trade and Turkey should prepare itself for this situation.