Turkey’s poultry exports up 30%

Turkey exported 30% more poultry in the first half of 2010 compared tot eh same period in 2009, exceeding $86 mln, according to the Poultry Meat Producers and Poulterers Association (BESD-BIR).

Turkey’s poultry exports have been on a steady increase since 2007, following a temporary slowdown due to an avian flu scare in 2005, reports state. Turkish poultry exports were up from $28.19 mln in 2006 to $44.41 mln in 2007. This figure rose further to $87.27 mln in 2008, before skyrocketing to $152.59 mln in 2009. This trend continued in the first 6 months of this year, with a 30% increase year-on-year to $86.85 mln over $66.67 mln in the same period of 2009.

Chicken meat makes up the majority of Turkish poultry exports. The first half of 2010 saw exports of chicken meat rising by 22% over the same period of 2009, reaching $67.8 mln.

The Iraqi market was the main reason behind the sector’s upsurge in 2008 as it buys more than half of Turkish poultry exports. In the first 6 months Iraq paid $52.77 mln for poultry from Turkey, up from $40.79 mln a year before. This was followed by Azerbaijan, which purchased poultry costing $4.72 mln during this period. Vietnam and Tajikistan were other top countries importing poultry from Turkey.

Chicken feet exports, the demand for which is strong in Far Eastern countries, also registered a heavy increase in the first half of the year, surging by 73% year-on-year. During this period Turkey sold $18.32 mln in chicken feet to Vietnam, Hong Kong, China and Thailand. Among them Vietnam ranked first, paying $12.71 mln for chicken feet purchased from Turkey.

Source: Today’s Zaman