Turkey’s peach and nectarine exports rise 134% and head toward $400 million
Turkey’s peach and nectarine export revenue reached $343.4 million in January-August 2026, up 134% from a year earlier. Russia and Iraq drove sales as shipments more than doubled to 184,356 tonnes.
Shipments more than double
Turkey’s peach and nectarine exports are heading toward a record full-year result after revenue reached $343.4 million in January-August 2026, according to Gözlem Gazetesi. The total was 134% higher than the $146.7 million earned during the same period of 2025, when cold weather sharply reduced domestic production.
Export volume increased even faster in physical terms. Turkey shipped 184,356 tonnes during the first eight months of 2026, compared with 82,375 tonnes a year earlier, representing growth of 124%. Despite the larger harvest and substantially greater supply, the average dollar-denominated export price still rose by 4%, according to Cengiz Balık, chairman of the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters’ Association.
The combination of higher volume and firm pricing lifted peaches and nectarines above tomatoes, peppers and lemons in Turkey’s fresh fruit and vegetable export ranking. The category now stands second behind mandarins. Peach exports generated $154.2 million in January-August, while nectarines contributed the larger share at $189.2 million.
Russia and Iraq lead demand
Russia and Iraq dominated the trade, although the order differed by product. Iraq was the largest destination for Turkish peaches, purchasing $72.5 million, followed by Russia at $65.5 million. Ukraine and Romania each imported $3.5 million of Turkish peaches.
Russia led nectarine purchases with $97 million, while exports to Iraq reached $69 million. Romania ranked next with $6.8 million, followed by Ukraine with $5.2 million. The figures show that Turkey’s export growth remains heavily connected to nearby markets in Eastern Europe, the Black Sea region and the Middle East.
The industry nevertheless has a broader geographical reach. Balık said Turkey exported peaches to 60 countries and nectarines to 58 countries. For growers, packers and traders, that network provides additional outlets during a season of abundant supply, even though Russia and Iraq account for the largest disclosed revenue flows.
Production rebounds above 1 million tonnes
The export surge followed a strong recovery in the domestic crop. Balık said Turkey’s combined peach and nectarine harvest exceeded 1 million tonnes in 2026 after falling to 642,000 tonnes in 2025 because of the climate crisis and adverse cold weather. He placed current production capacity in a longer-term context: output rose from 455,000 tonnes in 2002 to 1.18 million tonnes over 25 years, an increase of 159%, making Turkey the world’s third-largest producer.
Exporters entered the 2026 season with a revenue target of $250 million but passed that level before the end of August. Balık now expects annual exports to close above $400 million. That would also put the sector well ahead of the $255 million recorded in 2024, before the weather-related contraction of 2025.
The association has already set its next objective at more than $500 million. Reaching it will require the industry to convert Turkey’s restored production base into sustained overseas demand while preserving export prices during high-volume seasons. The 2026 performance indicates that additional supply has so far been absorbed without price erosion, but the concentration of sales in Russia and Iraq leaves exporters exposed to conditions in two core markets.
