An okra supplier is judged first by pod length. Hatipoğlu Tarım, which has exported fresh fruit and vegetables from its base in Antalya since 2002, picks okra by hand every day while the pods are about 3–5 cm long, because a pod left on the plant too long can turn fibrous. For importers, wholesalers and retail buyers, this guide sets out the size, the season, the research data on temperature, the packing method and the information needed for a quotation.
A small pod with a short harvest window
The company describes okra as a delicate summer product: small in size, bright green and fresh in texture, and in need of daily harvesting. The timing of the pick is followed closely, since a delayed harvest can make the structure of the pod fibrous.
Pod length and daily picking
Pod length is the first figure to put to okra wholesale suppliers. At Hatipoğlu Tarım the answer is about 3–5 cm, collected by hand each day. Research points the same way: according to the UC Davis Postharvest Center, okra is harvested 3–7 days after flowering, while the fruit is bright green and fleshy and the seeds are small. After that stage the pod becomes pithy and tough.
Season: okra from Turkey, June to October
Okra is a summer crop here, and the supply period runs from June to October. Send us your first and last delivery week so that the quantities can be discussed for the whole period. More on seasons is in the season calendar.
Quality criteria
The company selects okra for export on:
- Size: pods of about 3–5 cm.
- Colour: bright green.
- Skin structure: not fibrous.
- Freshness: a fresh texture.
UC Davis describes good okra as tender and not fibrous, with a colour typical of the cultivar, generally bright green, well formed and straight, and without signs of water loss.
Ridge damage and why cartons are filled in shallow layers
The same research source notes that tender fruit is easily damaged at harvest, especially on the ridges, and that this damage leads to unsightly brown and black discolouration. The company’s own statement concerns packing: to keep the delicate pods from being crushed, the cartons are filled in shallow layers. The carton measures 30 × 40 × 12.5 cm, and the okra is packed according to the shipment plan. More on carton formats is in our guide to packaging and case sizes in export.
Temperature, humidity and chilling: the research data
The following figures come from UC Davis and are research data, not Hatipoğlu Tarım’s own procedures. The optimum is 7–10 °C, at which very good quality is kept for 7–10 days. Relative humidity should be 95–100%, as weight loss in okra is very high. Lower temperatures cause chilling injury, seen as surface discolouration, pitting and decay. Higher temperatures bring water loss, yellowing and decay. Okra can be cooled successfully with water or with forced air. Its ethylene production is low, and it is not stored commercially in modified atmosphere. Our article on the cold chain in fresh produce export gives the wider background.
Mixed loads
Because okra is chilling-sensitive, it is not placed in a load that runs at 0 °C. A mixed load can be planned together with the buyer when the other products travel at nearby temperatures: aubergines, cucumbers and peppers are carried in the 7–12.5 °C range. Green beans, at 5–7.5 °C, are also chilling-sensitive. Fresh peas, by contrast, belong in a 0 °C load.
Customs code, documents and residues
At six digits, okra is generally declared under HS 0709.99, the subheading for other vegetables. Confirm the full tariff line with your customs broker before shipment. On the documentary side, Hatipoğlu Tarım holds ISO 9001, ISO 22000, ISO 10002, GLOBALG.A.P. IFA and GRASP, and no lot goes to Europe without a residue analysis. See also which certificates European buyers require.
Import process, step by step
With okra the chain restarts every day of the season: the pods are picked by hand, graded by size and colour and packed in shallow layers. Harvest, grading, cold storage and dispatch are handled in house. Because okra is chilling-sensitive, state the transport temperature you expect in your enquiry. Shipments are planned by the truck. One standard refrigerated truck of 13.60 m carries 33 euro pallets, each 80 × 120 cm.
Questions worth putting to okra exporters, and to us
When you talk to okra exporters, three questions separate the offers: at what length the pods are picked, how often, and how the cartons are filled. Our answers are above. If you want to import okra from Turkey, send six details for a quotation: the type, the pod length, the packaging, the weekly volume, the delivery week and the destination country. Phone +90 242 339 55 25, WhatsApp +90 534 260 07 25 and info@hatipoglutarim.com are the three ways to reach us.
Hatipoğlu Tarım has exported fresh fruit and vegetables from Antalya since 2002. Under the FİNİKE brand it ships 128 product lines to 42 countries, with harvest, grading, cold storage and dispatch handled in house across five facilities in Serik, Kepez, Mavikent, Yenişehir and Alaşehir.
Write to us with the pod length, your first and last delivery week and the weekly volume for okra, and we will prepare the season plan and the price quotation.
