Turkey: Greenhouse production increases by 55%
Turkey's Union of Chambers of Agriculture (TZOB) Chairman Semsi Bayraktar reported a 55.6 % increase in greenhouse fruit and vegetable production over a 10-year period where the production has risen from 5.53 million tons to 7.863 million tons.
Bayraktar, in his written statement, noted that thanks to greenhouse production, many products are available on the market throughout the year.
Bayraktar: “The share of tomatoes in greenhouse production is 48.7% of the total greenhouse production of fruits and vegetables and 51.9% of the vegetables produced in greenhouses. According to the 2017 data, 3,830 million tons of tomatoes, 1,122 tons of cucumber, 791,000 tons of watermelon, 186,000 tons of cantaloupe, 395,000 tons of green pepper, 101,000 tons of sweet pepper, 345,000 tons of eggplants, 219,000 tons of zucchini, 48,000 tons of green beans and 67,000 tons of lettuce is produced in Turkey in greenhouses. In fruits, over a 10-year period, greenhouse production of bananas has increased from 135,000 tons to 322,000 tons, whereas strawberry production has risen from 100,000 tons to 155,000 tons. Apricot, plum and nectarines are also produced in greenhouses across Turkey.
87% of bananas, 61% of cucumbers, 60% sweet pepper, 49% of zucchini, 42% of green pepper, 39% of eggplants and strawberries, 36% of lettuce and 30% of tomatoes in Turkey is grown in greenhouses.
During the same 10-year period, the population of Turkey has increased from 70.5 million to 80.8 million, a 14.5% increase. For the same period, the growth rate in greenhouse production is 55.6%, which consequently led to an increase in the amount of greenhouse fruit and vegetable production per capita in Turkey from 71.6 kilos to 97.3 kilos.
Source: Dunya