Winter is at the door, and Türkiye’s orchards look very different this year. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s 2026 production estimate, output is expected to rise by 63.9% for oranges, 63.8% for lemons and 46.3% for mandarins. After a difficult 2025 marked by frost and drought, citrus orchards are gearing up for a strong recovery.
What is more, Türkiye enters this upswing not from a weak year but from a record export year: even in 2025, when production fell, the country shipped 1.5 million tonnes of citrus to the world. So what does a bumper season mean for a buyer who wants to source citrus from Türkiye? Let us look first at last season’s figures, then at this winter’s outlook and at what buyers should watch out for.
📊 Last Season’s Report Card: USD 1.48 Billion in 2025
According to the Mediterranean Exporters’ Associations, Türkiye exported 1.5 million tonnes of citrus in 2025 and earned USD 1.477 billion from these sales. Compared with USD 1.045 billion the year before, that is an increase of 41%.
| Product | 2025 exports | Note |
| Mandarin | USD 912.6 million | USD 475 million in 2024; up 92% |
| Lemon | USD 402.4 million | Second-largest item |
| Orange | USD 96.3 million | |
| Grapefruit | USD 65.2 million | |
| Total | USD 1,477 million | +41% |
The most striking point in the table is this: the record came in a year when production fell sharply because of the weather. With supply short, rising global demand pushed prices up; in other words, price accounted for a large share of 2025’s revenue growth.
🌍 Where Does Turkish Citrus Go?
Turkish citrus reaches a wide geography. The top five buyers in 2025:
- Iraq – USD 544.2 million: The largest market, reached by road within a few days.
- Russia – USD 461.0 million: An essential winter buyer and one of Türkiye’s most important mandarin markets.
- Ukraine – USD 106.4 million: Steady demand across the Black Sea.
- Poland – USD 52.0 million: The strongest gateway into the European Union.
- Romania – USD 48.4 million: The hub of the Balkan and Eastern European route.
On the production side, Mersin (USD 696.3 million), Hatay (USD 229.7 million) and Adana (USD 136.4 million) lead the way. Antalya, Muğla and İzmir are other important regions supplying exports throughout the season.
📈 The 2026-27 Season: Bumper Crop, Strong Shipment Outlook
The Ministry’s first production estimate for 2026 forecasts total fruit output to rise by 57.8% to 31 million tonnes. The expected increases for citrus:
| Product | 2026 production outlook (vs. 2025) |
| Orange | +63.9% |
| Lemon | +63.8% |
| Mandarin | +46.3% |
Early signals from the field point the same way. Fruit exports by the Western Mediterranean Exporters’ Associations rose by 21.7% in August compared with the same month last year. With the harvest expected to grow by 46-64%, a marked increase in export volumes is also anticipated this winter.
The other side of the coin is price. At the start of the season, grower prices in Antalya are being quoted at TRY 3-4 per kilogram for lemons and TRY 5-10 for oranges. Plentiful supply suggests that last year’s high prices will ease this season. This means export revenue may not grow as fast as volume. For buyers, however, this is one of the most favourable buying seasons in recent years.
🍊 Product Calendar: Which Month, Which Product?
Turkish citrus is available over a long window from autumn to spring. Dates can shift by a few weeks depending on the year and region; the general picture is as follows:
- Satsuma mandarin – October-December: Opens the season; seedless and easy to peel.
- Clementines and other mandarins – November-February: The main mid-winter product.
- W. Murcott and Nova mandarins – January-April: Carry the season into spring.
- Lemon – September to May: Starts with early varieties and lasts until late spring.
- Washington navel orange – November-January; Valencia – March-May.
- Grapefruit – November-April.
🚚 What Should Buyers Watch Out For?
1️⃣ Residues and documentation
Pesticide residues are the most common source of problems with fresh fruit. Many markets, above all the European Union, strictly monitor residue limits, and Turkish citrus has been subject to increased checks in the past. A residue analysis from an accredited laboratory before shipment, a phytosanitary certificate and, where required, GlobalG.A.P. certification are indispensable.
What to do:
- Limits of the target market: Have the residue analysis done against the maximum residue levels of the destination country.
- Lot-based records: Require that every shipment be traceable back to its orchard.
2️⃣ Cold chain and transport
Citrus must be kept at the right temperature throughout shipment, and each type has a different ideal temperature; lemons are more sensitive to cold than mandarins and oranges. Nearby markets are served by refrigerated trucks, distant markets by sea in reefer containers. The port of Mersin is the main gateway for Turkish citrus to the world.
3️⃣ Size grade, packaging and labelling
The size range, carton type, net weight and label language should be clearly stated in the contract. The same product requires different packaging in different markets; settling this at the ordering stage prevents disputes on arrival.
4️⃣ Payment and contract
Prices are volatile in bumper seasons. A fixed-price framework agreement for the season protects both buyer and exporter against price swings. The payment method (cash in advance, documents against payment, letter of credit) should be chosen according to the risk of the shipment.
📌 Conclusion
Having exported 1.5 million tonnes even in 2025, a year of falling production, Türkiye enters this winter with a far more abundant harvest. The figures indicate that 2026-27 will be a strong shipment season for Turkish citrus. For buyers, it is the right time to source a wide range of products at favourable prices.
What will determine the success of the season is not only the quantity of fruit in the orchards, but also finding the right grower, securing the residue and documentation process, and building an unbroken cold chain.
👉 At Clef Trade, we are a Türkiye-based company sourcing food from around the world. For Turkish citrus, we find the right grower and manage quality control, documentation, cold chain and logistics end to end. Out of season, or when a suitable product is not available, we also source from other production centres. For your citrus supply this winter, get in touch with us.