Unilever to open ice cream plant

KONYA - Anatolia News Agency

Turkey’s ice cream sector registered a turnover of 1.1 billion Turkish Liras last year, according to Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan, speaking yesterday at a ceremony to mark the foundation-laying for a Unilever ice cream factory in the central Anatolian province of Konya.

Unilever’s factory, which will produce for its Algida brand, will cost some $100 million, according to officials.
Çağlayan said that last year Turkey was able to export $31 million in ice cream. “The difference between our ice cream exports and imports brought $23.5 million into our economy” said Çağlayan. The ice cream sector has grown by 40 percent since.

Çağlayan also commented on Turkey’s new incentive scheme in his speech, saying that he hoped the scheme would be approved by President Abdullah Gül within the next two to three days. He added that the government was currently working with various ministries on plans to develop Konya logistically. “We will make logistics investments to link Konya to the Mersin Port. We can’t bring the sea to Konya, but together we can build the links to connect Konya to the sea,” he said.