Turkish pepper exports in 2020 increased by 35.38% over the previous year, totaling 150.71 million kilos, and by 54.87% over the last five years, according to Hortoinfo based on COMTRADE data. This increase in exports has occurred despite the high level of pesticides found in these vegetables. In the past year alone, Turkish peppers entering the European Union generated 111 alerts, according to data from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). The average price of all the peppers exported by Turkey in 2020 stood at € 0.91/kg. In 2020, Germany was the largest buyer of Turkish peppers with 31.05 million kilos, i.e. 29.6% more than in the previous year, and accounting for 20.61% of all Turkish pepper exports. Germany paid Turkey 36.21 million euro for these peppers, at an average price of € 1,166 / kg.
Russia followed it with 27.17 million kilos worth 20.61 million euro, at an average price of € 0.76 / kg, and 18.03% of all the Turkish pepper exported. Russia increased its purchases by 58.95% over the previous year and purchased 20 times more Turkish pepper than in 2017. Romania was the third biggest buyer of Turkish peppers with 18.84 million kilos (12.5% of the total) worth 21.51 million euro and an average price of € 1.14/kg.