IMPORT OF PEPPER BY TURKEY

Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey is a country that occupies a unique geographic position, lying partly in Asia and partly in Europe. Turkey is bordered by Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Iraq and Syria. Turkey actively imports pepper from various pepper producing countries for its domestic consumption.

In 2017, Turkey was reported to have imported a total of 6,288 Mt of pepper which 97% or 6,116 Mt of it comprised of whole pepper while 3% or 172 Mt of it was ground pepper. The average import by Turkey in 2017 was reported to be 524 Mt per month with the highest quantity recorded in June with 858 Mt. The total expenditure of pepper imported by Turkey was reported to be as high as USD 15.0 Million, recording an average price of the total pepper imported by Turkey at USD 2,410 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 2,000 Per Mt for ground pepper.

Year 2018 saw a decreasing trend in term of quantity of pepper imported by Turkey. Turkey was reported to have recorded a total of 3,764 Mt which comprised of 97% or 3,665 Mt of whole pepper and 3% or 98 Mt of ground pepper. Thus, recording a decrease of 40% as compared to the same period in 2017. On average Turkey was reported to have imported 314 Mt per month which also peaked in June with 672 Mt. There was an increase in demand of pepper in June 2017 and 2018 due to preparation to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr. In accordance with decreasing in terms of quantity, Turkey’s expenditure for pepper import was reported to have declined by 52% to a total of USD 7.3 Million, recording an average price of the total pepper imported by Turkey at USD 1,962 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 1,201 per Mt for ground pepper or a decrease by 19% and 40% respectively as compared with 2017. Pepper import by Turkey as of October 2019 was reported with an increase of 59% as compared with the same period in 2018, totaling at 5,079 Mt which comprised of 4,898 Mt of whole pepper and 181 Mt of ground pepper. The total expenditure of pepper import by Turkey as of October 2019 was reported with an increase of 50% as compared to the same period in the previous year, totaling at USD 9.4 Million.

The top five countries of origins of Turkey’s pepper as of October 2019 were reported to be Viet Nam with 3,276 Mt (an increase of 41% as compared with the same period in 2018), Brazil with 1,714 Mt (an increase of 187%), Indonesia with 46 Mt (a decrease of 23%), China with 28 Mt and Malaysia with 7 Mt. The significant decrease of Turkey import from Indonesia could be contributed that Turkey started to shift import to other origins country such as Viet Nam and Brazil which offered more competitive price (an increase by 957 Mt and 1,117 Mt respectively as compared to the same period in 2018).

(VPA & IPC)