Established in 2007, Olive and Olive Oil Promotion Committee aims to promote Turkey’s harvest of 170 million trees in world markets.
The committee also aims to build a Turkish Olive and Olive Oil brand image in the world besides its activities to promote the consumption and production of olive products in domestic market. It also tries to increase the product varieties and expand distribution channels by applying sustainable pricing schemes.
What are the products the committee covers and how large they production volumes?
With recent additions, total inventory of olive trees has reached to 180 million. This year, it is expected that about 215 thousand tons of olive oil and 400 thousand tons of olive to be produced.
What is your branding strategy?
Target is to reach 3.8 billion dollars of exports of packaged and branded products by the year 2023. To realize this, certain regulations should be put into force and the incentives provided by government should be maintained in the future.
How do you evaluate companies’ branding efforts in Turkey?
This season about 20 thousand tons of packaged olive oil was exported, this figure is more than total exports of 2011/2012 season. More harvest are needed to increase these more.
What are your markets that the committee targeted?
Main targets are, the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Russia, South Korea, India, England, Rumania, China and recently Brasil and Tayland were added.
What is the outlook of olive and olive oil production and exports in the world?
The following table summarizes the latest figures reflecting the general outlook.
What is Turkey’s position?
In 2011/2012 season, Turkish exports of olive oil was 19.4 thousand tons worth of 65 million dollars. By 30.06.2013, our olive oil exports have increased 482 percent in volume and 427 percent in value and exports has reached to about 70 thousand tons and earnings reached to 217 million dollars. Olive exports also has showed an increase during the same period and now it reached to 60 thousand tons and earnings to 101 million dollars. The following table summarizes this:
Which fairs does the committee participate in the world?
In the first half of the year we have been in International Food and Drink Exhibition 2013 held in UK and Feira Apas 2013 in Brazil. In the second half of the year the committee will participate in fairs in four different countries, among them are, Anuga Fair (5-9 Oct.), in Cologne, the largest food fair in the world, Beijing Food and Technologies Fair (13-15 Nov.), Erbil Food and Technologies Fair (18-21 Nov.) in Iraq. Lastly, the committee will be in the First Thailand Turkish Products Fair, organized by Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, between 28 Nov. – 1 Dec. in Thailand, that also is a gate for regional markets, including Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia.
What kinds of activities the committee participates in, out of fair organizations?
In 2013, the committee sent olive culinary Ahmet Ertur to Olive Japan 2013 international accolade of olive oil, held in April in Tokyo, organized by the olive oil sommelier association as a juror.
In November, a VIP buying group from Brazil will be hosted in Turkey. A sectorial trade committee visit may be planned to any target countries. In domestic markets, several retail shows have been realized since 2011 in major malls in several retails including Paladium, Istinye Park in Istanbul, Park Plaza in Bursa, Panora and Cepa in Ankara, Terra City in Antalya, Espark in Eskisehir. Similar activities are planned in Trabzon, Erzurum, Diyarbakir and Kayseri in 2014.
