Marketing should be improved in producer cooperatives

Antexpo Inc. General Manager Murat Özer emphasized the importance of agricultural producers, especially those in the fresh fruit and vegetable sector, focusing on cooperatives to reduce costs and enable exports, and also highlighted the need for the development of cooperatives in terms of marketing. Antexpo Inc. General Manager Murat Özer, who organized Turkey’s first fresh fruit and vegetable fair, InterfreshEurasia Fair, to increase fresh fruit and vegetable and agricultural product exports, stated that European producers have a say in production and exports by forming cooperatives.
Explaining that producer cooperatives in Europe are experts in marketing and have a significant impact on global agriculture, especially in EU countries, Özer stated that the model of European producer cooperatives needs to be developed in Turkey as well.
Murat Özer, General Manager of Antexpo Inc., pointed out that the fundamental issues for Turkish farmers and producers are access to finance and logistics. He mentioned that one of the major problems for farmers is the lack of pre-financing and logistical support, which leads them to become financially dependent on intermediary exporters. Özer underlined the necessity of restructuring producer cooperatives in Turkey, stating that one of the biggest challenges for farmers is the lack of marketing expertise to sell their products domestically and internationally, making them vulnerable to intermediaries.
Özer highlighted the need for empowering farmers through knowledge, skills, and financial support, eliminating intermediaries, and providing direct market access through cooperatives. He emphasized that encouraging cooperatives and promoting collective action among farmers can reduce dependency on intermediaries and increase farmers’ income, leading to sustainable development in Turkey’s agricultural sector.
Referring to the successful example of Spain where farmers have solved their cooperative and marketing issues, Murat Özer suggested that Turkey could adopt a similar model. He mentioned that Spain effectively applies this model in tomato production through regional cooperatives, providing farmers with guidance on seed, fertilizer, and pesticide use, as well as purchase guarantees, ensuring financial and technical support for farmers.
In Mut district, famous for its early apricot production in Turkey, Murat Özer described the challenges faced by farmers, particularly in Mut’s early apricot production. He concluded by illustrating the financial loss incurred by farmers when selling their apricots directly from the tree, emphasizing the need for strategic marketing and cooperative development to enhance farmers’ income and sustainability in the agriculture sector in Turkey.