Packaging:

13th MUSIAD International Trade Fair represents a great opportunity to meet businessmen in this sector not only from Turkey but also from different countries all over the world. The fair program includes regular activities such as “sector-based meetings” aiming at gathering businessmen who share common interests under one roof, MUSIAD also arranges visits to some selected factories in this sector. Taking into consideration that the 14th International Business Forum (IBF) will be held in Istanbul from the 6th to the 9th of October 2010, the potential number of visitors for the Fair is constantly growing.

Food:

Turkey has a great agricultural production potential arising out of her ecological and climatological conditions, land property and rich crop pattern. Due to these factors, Turkey is one of the most favored countries in terms of agricultural production. In Turkey, traditionally cereals lead the list in total agricultural production. Wheat, barley, maize, oats, rye, rice, millet, spelt, canary grass and mixed grain are the main species of cereals grown in Turkey. Especially cool season cereals are grown vastly in comparison with warm season cereals. In particular, wheat and barley are the most important crops among cereals. Biscuit production in Turkey dates back to 1924. However, the sector has been experiencing rapid development and modernization since 15-20 years.

Today, there are many companies in Turkey producing various biscuits in the same quality with its European competitors. All of the production units in the sector are private companies and most of them are located in Marmara and Central Anatolia provinces. Availability of almost all kinds of fruits and vegetables and the affirmative environmental conditions which led to grow them in ample quantities and in highest quality all have formed a strong base for the improvement of the Turkish vegetable and fruit canning industry.

As a result of the product diversification, Turkish canned fruits and vegetables sector exports showed remarkable structural recovery in the last years. Naturally this success can be attributing to the quality of both raw material and the product itself, and to the advanced technology employed and to the entrepreneurship of Turks. Turkey is the source of various traditional cheeses which are regarded as the constant staples of the healthy Mediterranean diet. Arising from the cultural relations that Turkish people have established throughout centuries, many habits from different cultures have been taken and composed with the habits of Turkish culture. These historical cultural relations have lead to the enrichment of Turkish cuisine. Cheese is one of the important products where this traditionally can be clearly observed. Differences in tastes and other consumer habits between regions of Turkey can also be seen in the cheese consumption. Today about 50 different types of cheeses are known. Being a vital element in human diet, the importance of milk and dairy products in the daily life is always present. Containing a considerable amount of essential amino acids, minerals and vitamins, dairy products play an important role in human daily diet in every age of human. In Turkey, the number of modern milk processing plants has increased in the last years. Many investments related to the dairy processing industry equipped with high technology were made especially in the last decade. Furthermore, there is a considerable increase in the number of foreign direct investments and joint venture cooperation in the dairy processing sector. Parallel to this increase in the number of processing firms, the amount of milk produced and processed has increased. Treasured since ancient times for its excellent nutritional quality, olive oil has been one of the essential features of the diet of many Mediterranean civilizations, especially those located in Anatolia (Turkey). This versatile ingredient has been used not only as a flavor enhancer in various dishes, but also as a medicine for healing wounds, as fuel for lamps and as a cosmetic for the hair and skin. Considered sacred, it has been the symbol of peace and richness connecting three continents in one soul. Although the olive tree is native to the eastern Mediterranean basin, it gradually spread westwards beyond Turkey into Europe due to the increased importance of the olive as the source of edible oil. Having the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Sea, Turkey has been one of the major producers of olives among Mediterranean countries and olive oil traditions and olive oil dishes have always been the pride of Turkish culture since the time of the Ottomans. Today, Turkey is supplying the olive oil of Mediterranean cuisine all over the world. Treasured since ancient times for its excellent nutritional quality, olive oil has been one of the essential features of the diet of many Mediterranean civilizations, especially those located in Anatolia (Turkey). This versatile ingredient has been used not only as a flavor enhancer in various dishes, but also as a medicine for healing wounds, as fuel for lamps and as a cosmetic for the hair and skin. Considered sacred, it has been the symbol of peace and richness connecting three continents in one soul. Although the olive tree is native to the eastern Mediterranean basin, it gradually spread westwards beyond Turkey into Europe due to the increased importance of the olive as the source of edible oil. Having the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Sea, Turkey has been one of the major producers of olives among Mediterranean countries and olive oil traditions and olive oil dishes have always been the pride of Turkish culture since the time of the Ottomans. Today, Turkey is supplying the olive oil of Mediterranean cuisine all over the world. Because of her vast agricultural potential, oilseeds have always been one of the important sectors of Turkish agriculture. With the implementation of the outward oriented policy in 1980’s, many agro-industry establishments for export purpose were founded in Turkey especially in the vegetable oil sector. Tea production in Turkey was initiated in the early years of the Republic and realized in a microclimate in the Eastern Coast of Black Sea Region. After successful results had been obtained, the region extending from Arakli to the Republic of Georgia was allocated to tea agriculture. In this region Rize, Ordu, Giresun, Trabzon and Artvin are the provinces in which tea produced. Turkey takes place on the upper limit of tea ecologies. It is one of the most important sources of revenue for the inhabitants of this region. The main destinations of Turkish tea are European Union Countries, CIS, India and USA. Among the EU countries, Germany and the Netherlands; among the CIS Countries Uzbekistan and Kygryzstan are the most important markets.

Packaging:

Turkey has a population of over 71 million and an annual growth rate of about 1.57 percent. The increase in the population and living standards, rapid urbanization, changing consumption patterns and the increase in women in business all result in higher demand for packaging products. As a result the Turkish packaging industry has grown rapidly over the past 10 years and has now become a huge sector. The growth of the sector reflects changing shopping habits, particularly in the large cities with their supermarkets, department stores and hypermarkets. Increased advertisements of consumer products, attractive point-of-purchase packaging and the boom in sales of canned and frozen food, apparel, and disposable medical supplies, all of which require specialty packaging, are other factors for the expanding packaging sector. Turkey produces all types of packaging materials and packaging products such as paper, cardboard, wrapping film, tape, plastics, glass, metals and wood. The annual consumption of packaging is about 2.7 million tons. The breakdown of packaging products consumption in Turkey is 37% for paper, carton, corrugated board and foil, 22% for metals, 20% for plastics, 13% for wood, 8% for glass. Turkish packaging machinery was exported to about 90 countries in 2002. The major markets for packaging machinery were Romania, Egypt, Italy, the Russian Federation, Germany, Iran, Greece, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Syria and the Czech Republic. The Turkish plastic packaging industry is a fast developing sector. In recent years, investments in the sector have accelerated, the number of items produced has been increased and the quality has improved. The number of manufacturers in the industry has increased, as well. Packaging consumption of Turkey increases rapidly following the trends in the world. As retail market has enlarged rapidly, the sales of packaged products to the final consumer has increased. This development resulted in intensive studies on packaging structures and for more rational packaging. In the last three years, the average rate of growth of Turkish plastic packaging industry was 10 % per year. The growth rate is estimated to be the same in the next years.