RIYADH: To meet the increased demand for fruit and vegetables during the Haj season, Saudi Arabia plans to import around 120,000 tons of produce from Turkey. The goods will be transferred by Turkish airline companies, said Sahim Al-Ghamdi, head of the fruit and vegetables committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He said 40,000 tons of tomatoes and 40 tons of citrus will be among the imports.
According to Al-Ghamdi, there is an increase in the import of fruit and vegetables from Turkey due to the variety of produce and competitive process. Mustafa, a senior consultant at the agency for encouraging and supporting investment in Turkey, noted that they were keen to ease obstacles that investors face in any sector. He said they seek to provide strategic food products in local and international markets to contribute to food security.
Saudi investors in this sector along with Gulf investors visited Antakya in May in an attempt to discuss opportunities and obstacles facing investors in the sector. The two sides mainly discussed shipment issues. According to Al-Ghamdi, the imports of fruit and vegetables from Turkey increased by 30 percent this year after the signing of a number of agreements with Turkish companies. The Antakya region produces 65 percent of Turkey’s fruit and vegetables, including hazelnuts, cherries, figs, olives, tomatoes, eggplants, apples, pears, cucumbers and others. Turkish Airlines said it has the capacity to transfer 70 tons of produce on a daily basis on its scheduled passenger flights to the Kingdom.
