Figs - Tropical and Subtropical Fruits: Postharvest Physiology, Processing and Packaging - page 438

24
Figs

A. Aytekin Polat and Muhammad Siddiq

INTRODUCTION
Fig ( Ficus carica L.) is believed to be indigenous to west-
ern Asia and to have been distributed by man through-
out the Mediterranean area, with its remnants found in
excavations of sites traced to at least 5000 BC (Morton,
1987). As time went on, the fig-growing territory stretched
from Afghanistan to southern Germany and the Canary
Islands. Figs were introduced into England ∼ 1525-1548
AD, and their introduction to China dates back to around
1550. Later, European cultivars were taken to China, Japan,
India, South Africa, and Australia (Morton, 1987). The
fig tree grows best and produces the best-quality fruit
in the Mediterranean and dryer warm-temperate climates
(CRFG, 1996).
Fresh figs are generally eaten with the skin, however,
peeled or unpeeled figs may be used in various food
preparations—in pies, puddings, cakes, bread, or other bak-
ery products or added to ice cream mix. Fig paste forms
the filling for the well-known snack “Fig Newtons.” Most
of the production is used as dried figs because the high per-
ishability of fresh figs makes them difficult to store and/or
ship to expand potential markets (Morton, 1987).
For centuries, the processed (mainly dried) product has
been the major form of fig available at the market because
of the extreme perishability of fresh fruit. However, there
has been an increase in demand of fresh figs (Aksoy, 1995;
Tous and Ferguson, 1996). The worldwide trade in fresh
figs became possible mainly due to the accumulation of
knowledge and technological developments in the area of
postharvest fruit preservation.

WORLD PRODUCTION AND TRADE
The world fig production during the 1990-2010 period
fluctuated between 1.01 million metric tons (MMT) in
2001 and 1.22 MMT in 2006, with a 2010 figure of
1.06 MMT (Fig. 24.1). During the same period, the area
under fig production has ranged between 376,000 and
461,000 hectares, which, after remaining fairly flat until
2004, spiked to 461,000 hectares in 2006. The leading fig
producing, exporting, and importing countries are shown in
Table 24.1. Turkey led fig producing countries with 254,838
metric tons, accounting for 24% of total world production.
The leading fig exporting country in 2009 was Turkey,
followed by Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, and Brazil.
Although the number of countries importing Turkish figs
is increasing, more than 70% of the product is sent to the
EU markets. France, Austria, Germany, Canada, and the
United Kingdom were the top five fig importing countries.
Analyzed in terms of amount and value, Turkish dried
fig exports constitute 85-95% of the total fig exports, an-
other 5-9% are exported as dried fig paste, and 1-2% are
exported as sliced dried figs. A significant amount (over
70%) of dried fig production in Turkey is carried out in
Aydın province and about 8% in Izmir. Aydın province
and places around, where the world's highest quality and
most delicious dried figs grow, export 80% of dried figs.
Five percent of the figs produced in Aydın are marketed
as fresh figs, and the remaining fruit is processed as dried
figs. Dried fig production in Aydın is approximately about
50,000 tons. There are nearly 100 companies in Aegean
region, which are involved in processing, packaging, sale,