Turkish confectionery market reaches 3.1 bln USD

Confectionery market and its products grew 10% in the past few years in Turkish market, reaching 3.1 billion USD annual sales, as Anatolia news agency reports. One third of confectionary consumption happens during the religious holidays of Eid al-Fitr (Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice). During these periods, per capita consumption reached 1 kg of sweet and chocolate in Turkey. With the growing interest of foreign brands in Turkish chocolate and sweet, Turkish confectionery exports grew largely in the past five years. Turkey's exports of sweet and chocolate reached 2 billion USD in 2011. Moreover, Turkey started to make exports to world-famous chocolate producers, Belgium and Austria too. Chairman of the Turkish Confectionary and Sweet Promotion Group, Zekeriya Mete, said that "industry's exports target for 2012 is 2.5 billion USD. We export our products mainly to EU countries, North African countries, Russia, Saudi Arabia, U.S., Turkic republics, Middle East and Far East."