Raisins (Sultanas)
Turkey and Iran have 1200 different types of fresh grapes and have been among the five major producers of grapes throughout the world with an annual average production of about 8 million tons. Among these varieties, seedless “Yuvarlak and Sultani” are the main varieties used for raisins. Seedless raisins are grown especially in the Aegean Region of Turkey, which is blessed with some of the most fertile land in the world, plenty of sunshine and abundant water supplies.
The original name of the famous seedless raisins, “Sultana, Sultanna, Sultanine”
About 60% of the total production in this region is seedless. Depending on foreign demand, the tendency in Iran and Turkey is towards more production without reducing quality. This has been realized by both increasing viticulture areas throughout the country and utilizing modern viticulture techniques to increase the yield.
raisin production.
Table 1: World Raisin Production by Countries (Tons)
Rank
|
Countries
|
2016
|
2017
|
Change (%)
|
Share (%) 2017
|
1
|
Turkey
|
313,000
|
270,000
|
-13.7
|
22
|
2
|
USA
|
243,000
|
230,000
|
-5.3
|
18
|
3
|
Iran
|
180,000
|
165,000
|
-8.3
|
13
|
4
|
China
|
130,000
|
160,000
|
23.1
|
13
|
5
|
India
|
135,000
|
135,000
|
0
|
11
|
6
|
Chile
|
60,000
|
60,000
|
0
|
5
|
7
|
South Africa
|
45,000
|
57,000
|
26.7
|
5
|
8
|
Uzbekistan
|
50,000
|
50,000
|
0
|
4
|
9
|
Afghanistan
|
45,000
|
50,000
|
11.1
|
4
|
10
|
Argentina
|
18,000
|
33,500
|
86.1
|
3
|
11
|
Greece
|
27,000
|
27,000
|
0
|
2
|
12
|
Australia
|
12,000
|
17,000
|
41.7
|
1
|
Total
|
1,258,000
|
1,254,500
|
-0.3
|
100
|
national Nut and Dried Fruit Council – INC