Turkey's Fresh Produce Exports Hit Record $2.35 Billion in First Half, Led by Citrus
Turkey's fresh fruit and vegetable exports rose 39% to a record $2.35 billion in the first half of 2026, according to the Turkish Exporters Assembly. Citrus led the gains with a 76% jump to $911 million, while Iraq and Russia together took about half of all shipments.
Record first-half performance
Turkey's exports of fresh fruit and vegetables reached $2.35 billion (2,353,915,000) in the first six months of 2026, a record for the January–June period and the first time shipments have crossed the $2 billion mark in a single half-year, according to data from the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM). Revenue climbed 39% from $1.69 billion in the same period of 2025, an increase of $663 million. The figures were compiled from TİM data and reported by outlets including Anadolu Agency.
By volume, the sector shipped 1,722,572 tonnes over the six months. The gains were spread across the industry's main categories, but citrus supplied most of the additional revenue and set the pace for the record. The result extends a run of rising half-year totals that exporters have posted in recent years, and it lifts the sector past a threshold it had not reached in a first half before.
Citrus drives the gains
Citrus was by far the largest category at $911 million, up 76% in value year on year, and on its own accounted for 39% of total fresh produce exports. The scale of that jump means a single product group carried much of the sector's growth in the first half, making the overall record heavily dependent on one line of business.
Fresh fruit exports rose 38% to $757.5 million, while fresh vegetable exports increased 10% to $667.7 million. The slower vegetable growth left that segment trailing both citrus and other fresh fruit, tilting the export mix further toward fruit and away from vegetables over the half.
Iraq and Russia anchor demand
Iraq was the leading destination at $601.1 million, followed by Russia at $568.4 million. Romania ($197.4 million), Germany ($167.8 million) and Ukraine ($112.4 million) completed the top five markets, giving the sector a spread of buyers across the Middle East, the former Soviet space and the European Union.
Together, Iraq and Russia absorbed roughly half of the sector's exports. That concentration highlights how heavily Turkish shippers depend on demand from those two markets, while Romania and Germany represent the sector's foothold inside the European Union and a potential route to diversify away from its two dominant buyers.
Full-year outlook
Hayrettin Uçak, chairman of the Turkish Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters' Unions Sector Board, said the $663 million year-on-year gain was a source of pride for exporters, crediting strong demand abroad, high yields across many products and a trade network built up over years. He said he expects monthly export figures to keep rising through the year and to end 2026 at a strong level.
The sector earned $3.70 billion (3,703,611,000) in full-year 2025, according to Uçak, who said he expects exports to reach $4 billion in 2026 as global demand for Turkish agricultural products continues to increase. Reaching that target would require the second half to build on the record set between January and June.
