Turkey is one of the largest producers of apples in Europe. Small-scale orchards still account for a significant portion of the country’s apple production, making it a noteworthy exporter of the pome fruit.
Turkey’s diverse geographic regions allow for the cultivation of hundreds of apple varieties. However, few are sold commercially. Commercial orchards are generally found in the southern part of central Anatolia and in the northern Mediterranean areas.
About 50% of the apples produced commercially come from three provinces, namely Isparta, Karaman and Nigde. In Isparta farmers grow most of the apples, about 850 thousand tons per year. Pome fruits are also cultivated in Antalya, Konya and Amasya. With 500 thousand tons, Karaman is the second largest apple production area in Turkey.
This province has 12 million apple trees, accounting for about 16% of Turkey’s total production. Karaman is becoming a noteworthy player in foreign trade. New investments are encouraging small apple growers to switch to more profitable and higher yielding types of apples.
The most important apple varieties for the country are Red Delicious (or Starking Delicious), Golden, Amasya, and Granny Smith. These account for 70% of total 2019/20 production. Red Delicious is the most popular variety and accounts for about 37% of all apples in Turkey.
