COMPANY AIMS AT 25 PERCENT EXPANSION AND 500 MILLION ENDORSEMENT

Keskinoğlu Grup board member Keskin Keskinoğlu held a press conference to inform the public about Keskinoğlu Grup's operations in product development and exportation. In the conference Keskinoğlu stated that they have achieved 25 percent expansion and 368 million YTL endorsement in 2008 and they are aiming at reaching 500 million TL endorsement for the year of 2009.

Emphasizing that they have strengthened their position in the market through new product developments, Keskinoğlu said: "In order to realize those aims for 2009, we have centralized our efforts to export leadership and expansion in the domestic market.  In the constantly expanding processed products market, we have increased our product range to 120 and it continues to increase. Our aim in that market for 2009 is reaching 25 thousand tons of production."

"AFTER FAILING IN EU MARKET, WE HAVE DEVİATED OUR COURSE TO MIDDLE EAST AGAIN"

Indicating that Keskinoğlu has exported a total of 3 thousand 955 tons of chicken meat in the first five months of 2009, Keskinoğlu said: "Keskinoğlu will achieve 18 thousand tons of export, which is %28 of Turkey's total chicken meat export on its own.  In the last month, it was announced that processed chicken meat export to EU would start but that turned to be impracticable as 1024 Euro tax per ton was imposed.  Under these circumstances, we quickly took action and changed our course from European Union to Middle East.  We are exporting chicken meat to a wide range of countries including Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia Herzegovina, Guinea, Georgia, Hong Kong, Iraq and Malaysia.  And new countries are added to the list. We have signed agreements with United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar; and we will start exporting chicken meat to these countries"

"WE WILL PRODUCE 750 MILLION EGGS"

Asserting his ideas about egg sector, Keskinoğlu said that egg consumption per person per year has increased from 125 to 150 in Turkey. Keskinoğlu expressed that as Keskinoğlu Grup, they aim at covering 10 percent of Turkey's egg export.  He said: "Our export to countries such as Iraq, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar will increase. This year we are aiming at producing 750 million eggs, 100 million of which will be for export. In the first five months of this year we have reached 45 million sales.  We believe that we will achieve our aim at the end of the year, and we can even exceed that number."

"IRAQ IS VERY IMPORTANT IN EGG EXPORTATION"

Referring to Iraq's importance in egg exportation, Keskinoğlu stated: "For now, 80 articulated lorries of egg is exported to Iraq.  That means 24 million eggs are imported each week. Turkey's daily egg production, on the other hand, is 38 million.  A narrowing in Iraq market would pose a risk to egg sector.  Especially those days, when the temperature is very high, there is a 30 percent decrease in egg exportation to Iraq because the cold chain system is not available in that country."

Indicating that as Keskinoğlu Grup, they have achieved a total of 80 million egg exportation in 2008; Keskinoğlu said that 35 million of that total export was made to Iraq and they are aiming at increasing that figure to 42 million in 2009.

"RAVIKA OLIVE OIL WILL BE MARKET LEADER IN FAR EAST"

Expressing that the group company Ravika, packaged olive oil brand, has grown into exporting to 30 companies and achieving a fast growth in fast markets, Keskinoğlu said: "We are turning towards markets like Ukraine, Japan, China, and Korea in which Ravika has a potential to expand. We are aiming at market leadership.  We will have exported 350 thousand liters of packaged olive oil to those four countries by the end of the year." Asserting that Ravika's growth have stabilized in USA, Bulgaria, South Africa, Georgia, Hong Kong, England, Switzerland, Canada, Norway, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, Keskin Keskinoğlu said: "We are aiming at achieving 1 million liters of exportation in the year of 2009. As Ravika, we have exported 390 thousand liters in the first five months of the year."

"WE WILL EXPAND 150 PERCENT IN LOGISTIC"

Indicating that Keskinoğlu has entered in the logistic sector with 10 million dollars of investment, Keskin Keskinoğlu stated: "FEM Logistic, which provided service to Keskinoğlu when it was first established, has become a solution partner in food sector with its vehicle fleet consisting of 250 trucks and articulated Lorries equipped with the latest coolers.  Equipping all the vehicles in its fleet with satellite tracking system and interior heat sensor, FEM Logistic adopts protection of the whole food security cold chain as a principle and delivers any product on time and as it should be. The system, which provides maximum vehicle and driver safety, is controlled 24 hours by engineers.

FEM Logistic aims at increasing its endorsement, which was 12 million TL in 2008, by 150 percent and reach 30 million TL endorsement in 2009."

Keskinoğlu added that as Keskinoğlu Grup they aim at a total of 35 million TL investment until the end of the year for FEM Logistic, technological investments, machines, equipments and production capacity increase.

 Source:www.haberturk.com