GAP region exports drop 39 Percent

There has been a big drop in the agriculture exports in the region covered by the Southeast Anatolia Project (GAP).

The export of grains, beans and seeds dropped 39.1 percent in the first quarter of 2002, to 15.8 million dollars. The exports were worth 26 million dollars in the same period last year.

Grains, beans, seeds and agricultural products made up only 12.6 percent of total GAP region exports during the first three months of 2002.

In the first three months of 2001, these items had made up of 19.4 percent of total exports.

According to the "Association of Southeast Anatolian Exporters of Grains, Seeds and Agricultural Products", there has been 292 thousand dollars worth of red lentil, chick peas and bean exports, 1 million 22 thousand dollars worth of flour, wheat, semolina and macaroni exports, 604 thousand dollars worth of cooking oil, 12 million 396 thousand dollars of sugar, biscuits, candy, wafers and cake exports, and 1 million 522 thousand dollars worth of assorted products exports in the first quarter of this year.

Iraq, Germany, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Lebanon and Iran were the main importers of grains, beans, seeds and agricultural products from the GAP region, in the fist three months of 2002. (AT/EA/NM)