Turkish food exports on rise

Turkey’s organic agriculture and livestock is on the rise, according to the vicechairman of Istanbul’s Chamber of Commerce.Dursun Topcu said Wednesday that Turkey exported food and beverage productsworth more than $10 billion in 2013, and agriculture and livestock worth more than$5 billion the same year. He spoke at a publicity meeting in Istanbul for the GlobalFood Marketplace, also called SIAL.The food exhibition SIAL, considered one of the largest in its sector, will be held inOctober in Paris, France. Nearly 6,000 companies from around the world will attendthe exhibition.Topcu said around 200 Turkish companies participated in the previous exhibition.This number also indicated an increase by 44 percent after 2010, according to aFrench official.  Turkey was the third biggest participant after the hosting France and Italy, said thevice chairman of Paris Region Economic Development Agency, Jean-Luc Margot-Duclot.Duclot also said he hopes more than 150,000 people will attend the SIAL exhibition in this year, which is the 50th anniversary of the organization.