Türkiye’s Position in International Persimmon Trade: Competitiveness Indicators and Domestic Price Dynamics

This study examines Türkiye’s position in international persimmon trade and evaluates domestic real wholesale price movements in relation to production and foreign trade trends. Using annual production and trade data for the 2012–2024 period, Türkiye was compared with the United States, Azerbaijan, China, South Korea, Georgia, Uzbekistan, New Zealand, Spain, and Italy through the revealed comparative advantage index (RCA), relative export advantage index (RXA), relative import advantage index (RMA), relative trade advantage index (RTA), and trade balance index (TBI). Domestic price dynamics were analyzed using monthly real persimmon prices from the Istanbul Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market, a descriptive ordinary least squares (OLS) trend model, and exploratory Pearson correlation analysis. The production data indicate that Türkiye’s persimmon output increased from approximately 32 thousand tons in 2012 to more than 142 thousand tons in 2024. However, this production growth has not yet been fully reflected in strong revealed export specialization. Türkiye’s RCA and RXA values remained below the relevant advantage threshold of 1 throughout the period, although both indicators improved in recent years. RTA remained limited and turned negative in 2024, whereas TBI values indicate that Türkiye was a net exporter in most years, although this position was not stable over time. Domestic real prices displayed a clear seasonal pattern and a weak positive long-term tendency. The Pearson correlation results did not reveal statistically significant relationships between annual real prices and production or trade indicators.