“Turkey has the capacity to be a 12-month blueberry producing country” byOragro Madencilik Turizm Tarım San.ve Tic.A.Ş. and FreshPlaza

“Turkey has the capacity to be a 12-month blueberry producing country”

Turkey’s blueberry sector has expanded considerably over the past decade, with more growers entering commercial production and investments in cultivation and post-harvest infrastructure increasing. However, limited production knowledge remains one of the main challenges for the relatively young industry. Ms. Senay Bayram, Export and Sales Manager at Turkish blueberry exporter Oragro Farm, sees considerable potential for further growth, both in domestic consumption and international markets.

“Turkey’s blueberry sector has developed considerably in a relatively short time. Around ten years ago, blueberries were still unfamiliar to many Turkish consumers. Oragro Farm was among the first to introduce them to the Turkish market. Today, both production and consumption are growing drastically. We’ve seen more small growers enter the sector, greater investment in commercial production and increasing interest from domestic and international buyers,” Ms. Bayram says.

Growing acreage, but export volumes still catching up
Although planted acreage has increased significantly, much of the newer production is still coming from developing plantations. This means that the expansion has yet to translate fully into higher export volumes. Most small-scale Turkish producers currently focus on the domestic market, while growing demand and occasional supply shortages have also led to imports during certain periods.

“Many of the newer plantations are still maturing, and there is still a lot to be learned by growers. As a result, it will take time for this expansion to translate into significantly higher export volumes,” she explains.

Oragro Farm operates what Ms. Bayram describes as Turkey’s largest single-block blueberry plantation and plans to double its planted area in the near future. The company has also invested in infrastructure covering several stages of the supply chain, with production, cold storage and packing facilities located on-site.

“Our infrastructure includes hail protection, drip irrigation with the latest technology, water-storage reservoirs and a packing facility with ten cold-storage rooms, alongside a Unitec 16-line sorting system and Tomra punnet fillers. We have also been working with world-renowned advisors to improve our knowledge and gain a better understanding of the nature of our crops and selected varieties,” Ms. Bayram states.

Knowledge remains a key challenge for growers
Despite these investments, the sector’s biggest challenge remains the relatively limited knowledge of commercial blueberry cultivation in Turkey. Finding experienced agronomists can be difficult, while understanding how different varieties respond to local growing conditions requires several seasons of observation.

“The biggest challenge in terms of blueberry production is lack of knowledge. Blueberries are still a relatively new commercial crop in Turkey, and there’s limited knowledge, which can make finding reliable agronomists difficult. It takes several seasons to understand how the plants respond to local conditions. Decisions about irrigation, nutrition, pruning, and harvest timing can all affect the quality of the fruit,” she emphasizes.

Variety selection is one area where this learning process is particularly important. According to Ms. Bayram, varieties that perform well in other production regions do not necessarily deliver the same results under Turkish conditions. Oragro Farm therefore works with specialist advisors and adjusts its cultivation practices based on the results of each season.

“Blueberry production is very delicate and takes a lot of patience. Our approach is to keep improving each stage of the operation, from crop management and harvest planning to handling, cooling and transport coordination. It is important to be receptive to new information and ideas, but it is just as important to know what to filter out,” she says.

Geographical advantages offer scope for year-round production
Looking ahead, Bayram sees Turkey’s geographical position and diverse growing regions as important advantages. The combination of sea-level greenhouses and high-altitude farms could allow the country to develop a much longer production season.

“Turkey’s geographical location at the intersection of Eurasia creates excellent opportunities to supply worldwide markets, while its different growing regions offer scope for a broader supply season. With the combination of sea-level greenhouses and high-altitude farms, Turkey has the capacity to be a 12-month blueberry-producing country.”

For Oragro Farm, the immediate focus is on building on its record harvest in 2026. The company wants to increase the proportion of fruit suitable for export, improve harvesting and packing efficiency, and strengthen its relationships with existing customers while developing new partnerships in target markets.

“Our biggest focus is to supply high-quality fruit that customers want to buy again, and to be a transparent corporation with dependable delivery. Competing on those qualities gives us a stronger foundation than competing on price alone,” Ms. Bayram concludes.

For more information:
Senay Bayram
Oragro Madencilik Turizm Tarım San.ve Tic.A.Ş.
Tel: + 90 532 356 6505
Email: senaybayram@oragro.com.tr
www.oragrofarm.com