Turkey's sun-dried tomatoes are Italy's pizza secret; US, Netherlands next

Sun-dried tomatoes from Turkey's Torbalı plain are gaining international acclaim, with Italy, the United States, and the Netherlands as key markets. The region's unique climate and soil conditions are ideal for cultivating tomatoes, which are then sun-dried and processed for export.

Torbalı Ticaret Odası Başkanı Abdulvahap Olgun highlighted the growing importance of dried tomatoes, noting that "Torbalı sun-dried tomato" has received geographical indication and is recognized globally. "Italians love sun-dried tomatoes," Olgun stated, emphasizing their crucial role in Italian pizza. "Our tomatoes give pizza its taste and flavor, or form the basis of its sauces." This preference drives Italy's position as the top export market.

The tomatoes are cultivated in April and harvested in July, then laid out on white cloths to dry under the sun for about a week, depending on customer preference for sulfur or salt treatment. Approximately a thousand workers are involved in this process across 50,000 acres of land. The dried tomatoes are then sent to local factories for processing and export, fetching an average price of 170 Turkish Lira.

Olgun also mentioned that while some tomatoes are used for paste, the share for drying is increasing, boosting the product's value. "When a farmer sells all their tomatoes for paste, the price drops, but when a drying alternative emerges, the product's value increases." This year's harvest saw a 15% increase, though the season started later than usual, extending into August.

Producer Kemal Saygıner confirmed the positive impact of recent rainfall on the harvest. The region aims to further develop its agro-based industry, leveraging its fertile land and existing factories to process local produce for global export.

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Torbalı'da başlayan kuru domates üretimi yavaş yavaş ülke geneline yayılmaya başladı. Nem oranı ve güneş açısı domatesin kuruması açısından oldukça önemli. İşçi kardeşlerimiz tarafından ikiye bölünen domatesler, yaklaşık 7 gün boyunca güneşin altında kalıyor. Sonra toplanıyor ve işletmelere gönderiliyor. İşletmelerde de işlenip ihraç ediliyor. Tarıma dayalı sanayinin gelişmesini istiyoruz. Çünkü önemli bir ovanın üzerindeyiz ve çok sayıda fabrikamız var. Buradaki fabrikalarımız, burada yetişen ürünleri işleyip dünyaya ihraç etsin