06.08.2025 2025-2026 Season Dried Fig Sector Meeting Hosted by Aydın Commodity Exchange
The 2025-2026 Season Dried Fig Sector Meeting, hosted by Aydın Commodity Exchange, was held with the wide participation of sector stakeholders.
The first session of the meeting started with the opening speech of Aydın Commodity Exchange Chairman Fevzi Çondur. Then, Ayhan Temiz, Aydın Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry, shared his evaluations on the sector.
Delivering the opening speech of the meeting, Aydın Commodity Exchange Chairman Fevzi Çondur mentioned the production and export figures realized in our province and in our country in the 2024-2025 season. Çondur stated that a total of 69,953 tons of dried figs were produced in our country in the 2024/2025 season, and 54,085 tons of this production was realized from Aydın province. He also stated that the HMS kilogram price at the Aydın Commodity Exchange is 168.33 TL.
He emphasized that our country, which ranks first in the world fig production and exports, exported a total of 57,320 tons of dried figs in the 2024/2025 season; 43,213 tons of these exports belong to Aydın province.
Stating that the sector meetings held before each season are an important platform in terms of transferring the demands and expectations of the members to the relevant institutions, Çondur emphasized that they pioneered various studies to increase the added value of the products and to create new markets.
Stating that they drew attention to the problems encountered especially in exports in the report prepared after the meeting held last year, Çondur said that if the exported dried figs are returned for various reasons, the customs procedures carried out at the first border entry point cause serious victimization and loss of prestige for exporters.
In this context, he explained that in the meeting held with Mr. Mustafa Gümüş, General Director of Customs of the Ministry of Trade for the solution of the problem, they conveyed their demands for the returning products to be withdrawn to the warehouses in Aydın, provided that they remain connected to the first border entry point, and to be kept here until the food safety controls are completed.
In his speech, Çondur emphasized that they continue to work uninterruptedly in line with the demands of the members and that they try to contribute to the commercial life of their members with free e-commerce and consultancy services.
Stating that they brought the products of the members directly to the final consumer with the Local Aydın Platform, which was launched within this framework, Çondur said that consumers who want to supply products at fairs and events can contact the members through the platform.
Çondur also stated that they provide free consultancy not only to members but also to entrepreneurs in the fields of branding, patent, design and geographical indication with the Industrial Property Consultancy Unit, which was established within the scope of the cooperation protocol signed with the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office and is the first among the commodity exchanges in Turkey, and emphasized that they aim to add value to the regional economy by contributing to the protection of intellectual and industrial rights.
Commenting on the world fig trade, Çondur said that the highest average exports between 2020 and 2024 were realized by Turkey with 90,258 tons, which means a 47 percent share of world trade. Stating that they continue to cooperate with all institutions to solve the problems identified in sector meetings, Çondur wished the meeting to be productive and wished the new season to be beneficial for producers, traders, businesses and exporters.
Ayhan Temiz, Aydın Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry, stated in his speech at the meeting that Aydın alone meets 16 percent of the world's fresh fig production of 1 million 305 thousand tons and 56 percent of Turkey's production. Stating that organic production is carried out in 22 percent of the 387 thousand decares of fig production area in the province, Temiz said that these features carry Aydın to a privileged position in the world figs.
Reminding that “Aydın Fig” is protected by geographical indication and European Union registration, Temiz emphasized that the product is present in many foreign markets and has an important share in Turkey's agricultural exports. He explained that last year, 45,372 tons of dried figs were allowed to be exported after the inspections of the directorate.
However, this success brought along some challenges, Temiz said, especially diseases and pests due to climate change, disruptions in maintenance, agricultural control and storage conditions caused quality losses. He noted that aflatoxin and ochratoxin problems are among the most important factors that negatively affect marketing in domestic and foreign markets.
Stating that as the Provincial Directorate, they carry out intensive inspections to ensure that these processes are carried out in a healthy manner, Temiz said that within the scope of the Fig Integrated and Controlled Crop Management (EKÜY) Project, work continues with 54 producers on an area of 1,618 decares. He stated that fig fields are monitored for diseases and pests throughout the year, and that producers are informed through various communication channels if the damage threshold is approached.
In 2023, 21,250 fig saplings were distributed within the scope of the Project on Enabling the Use of Agricultural Land, and in early 2024, a pomegranate garden was established on an area of 17 decares in cooperation with Aydın Governorship, Provincial Directorate and Buharkent Municipality. Emphasizing that healthy pomace is critical for obtaining quality products, Temiz said that in this context, inspections were carried out in pomace markets and shot and unhealthy pomace was destroyed.
Stating that a total of 11,814 drying cradles were distributed in 12 districts within the scope of the Cradle in Fig Fields Project, which was implemented this year with the financing of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Aegean Exporters' Associations, Temiz expressed that the project was carried out with a budget of 2 million 670 thousand TL and thanked the supporting institutions.
Stating that they attach great importance to training activities in the journey of figs from field to table, Temiz stated that they organized 207 trainings with 3,067 participants in 2024 and 110 trainings with 2,621 participants in the first 6 months of this year. He also stated that trainings on fig cultivation and storage conditions were given in 10 districts in cooperation with the Fig Research Institute, and that the Provincial Directorate also contributed to these trainings in terms of legislation.
Stating that there are 142 dried fig processing and packaging facilities and 167 dried fig warehouses in the province, Temiz said that 587 inspections were carried out last year and 217 inspections were carried out in the first half of this year to ensure food safety.
Emphasizing that as Aydın Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, they continue to support the sector with projects and studies in order to maintain the leading position of our country and Aydın in fig production, Ayhan Temiz stated that this process will be further strengthened with the cooperation of producers and sector stakeholders and wished the meeting to be beneficial for the sector and Aydın.
The second session of the meeting was moderated by Aydın Commodity Exchange Chairman Fevzi Çondur. Yusuf Gabay, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters Association, Figen Sezer Köksal, Food and Feed Branch Manager of Aydın Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, and Figen Gül, Agricultural Engineer of the Crop Production and Plant Health Branch, took part in the session as speakers.
Sectoral problems, solution proposals and current developments were evaluated with the question and answer section in which the participants actively took part. At the meeting, which attracted great interest from chamber and stock exchange presidents, agricultural chamber presidents, producers, traders and exporters, the current situation of the sector was evaluated before the season and expectations and suggestions were discussed.
