An overview about import-export and evaluation of fresh fruit and vegetable import-export in Turkey

Agricultural products are bought for personal consumption or for further production. Fruit and vegetables are a main sector of agricultural production in Turkey, as they ensure population food sufficiency as well as maintain the foreign trade. Therefore, this research had mainly two purposes: First, reviewing the fruits and vegetables sector in Turkey by using secondary data published by the official websites and summarizing the strengths and the weakness of this sector via a SWOT model. The second purpose of this research was examining the Turkish preference for the imported or the exported fruits and vegetables and revealing the main reasons of their choice. Also, as the organic food has become the consumer' preference in different countries, this work tried to identify the Turkish' preference regarding the organic fruits and vegetables. To fulfill the second purpose of this research, a survey form based on a quantitative research method was carried out. 102 participants were considered. Overall research findings revealed that the Turkish fruits and vegetables sector has different strength points such as the geographical location, the climate, the international presence of Turkey, the maritime transportation and the diversity of the agricultural products. In addition, the Turkish' organic production has grown, and the principal importer is the European Union countries, however, the Turkish 'organic production still limited (considering the categories of the products) and some European evaluation reports revealed some norms violation regarding the use of antibiotics and agrochemicals. The survey demonstrated that Turkish participants and participants who live in Turkey prefer the Turkish fruits and vegetables, their choice was due to the product's taste and the convenient prices. The survey also revealed that the participants favored the organic fruits and vegetables over the packaged ones, they considered that the safety, prices and the product features are the princ ipal characteristics for their choice.