Figs Market: Strong California Fresh Season Meets Firm Turkish Dried Prices
Concise figs market analysis: strong California fresh crop, stable EUR prices, firm Turkish dried figs, and key outlook for retailers, importers and traders.
Prices
California fresh fig prices are currently reported as broadly similar to last year, despite higher input costs for growers. This implies a relatively stable fresh price environment in EUR at retail and wholesale level, even as margins compress along the value chain.
In Turkey, latest conventional dried fig offers from Malatya on 3 September 2026 show a flat price structure over recent weeks, with FOB levels around EUR 7.60/kg for Lerida no. 7 and up to about EUR 9.60/kg for natural no. 1. Organic and specialty formats from İzmir trade higher, roughly EUR 9.7–16.1/kg, reflecting strong demand for certified and value-added product.
Supply & Demand
California’s 2026 fresh fig crop began two to three weeks earlier than usual and peaked 7–10 days ahead of a typical year, but trees are expected to keep producing into November if weather remains favourable. Mission figs still represent more than half of California production, with Brown Turkey at roughly 25–30% and Sierra and Tiger covering most of the balance; Emerald is expanding from a lower base as young orchards mature.
Availability is strong entering September, with current yields slightly above last year and retailers reporting healthy demand and expanding displays. Fresh domestic sales in the US remain steady and are complemented by solid export flows. Canada has emerged as a standout destination, with a 52% year-on-year increase in California fresh fig imports in 2025, and demand there continues to be characterised as particularly robust.
For dried figs, California is actively developing new export markets beyond its existing customer base. India is highlighted as a key potential growth outlet for dried figs, with formal export figures expected next year. Japan, Vietnam and Cambodia are also under evaluation, suggesting the US dried segment could gradually diversify away from its traditional core markets.
Fundamentals & Costs
California fig growers are facing rising production costs, while market prices remain broadly unchanged from last year. This combination exerts clear margin pressure on producers and marketers, intensifying the focus on yield optimisation and cost control. Replacement of older, less-productive trees and investment in new San Joaquin Valley acreage are part of the industry’s response, aided by the crop’s relatively efficient water use.
Some of the newly bearing orchards are already contributing meaningful volumes, though yields remain variable until full maturity. Over the medium term, this new acreage, especially of the Emerald variety, is expected to support both fresh and dried fig availability. For Turkish dried figs, firm opening bids for the 2026/27 Aydın season and stable EUR-denominated export offers confirm an environment where quality and compliance constraints, tight old-crop stocks and strong premiums for organic product are keeping a floor under prices.
Weather & Seasonality
California’s fig season usually runs from mid-May through November, and the current year follows this pattern despite an earlier start, supported by generally favourable growing conditions. The main risk to season length now is adverse autumn weather, particularly early rains or heat spikes that could curb late-season yields and quality.
In Turkey, hot and dry conditions around Malatya and Aydın at the start of September support final drying and quality for the new crop. Forecasts indicate daytime highs in the low to mid-30s °C with limited rainfall in key producing areas, which is broadly supportive for drying operations and logistics. Meanwhile, Canada is expected to experience a warmer-than-normal September, which should be broadly supportive of continued fresh fig movement and retail interest as late-summer conditions persist.
Forecast & Trading Outlook
California’s fresh fig market enters September with strong availability, slightly higher yields year-on-year and firm domestic and export demand. The early end of other summer fruit, especially stone fruit, opens a window for figs to act as a bridge product in US retail programmes into early autumn. On the dried side, Turkish supply is transitioning into the new season at firm yet stable EUR price levels.
- Retailers / Importers (Fresh): Maintain or expand fig promotions into October, leveraging strong California supply and the gap left by stone fruit, but stay flexible in case adverse autumn weather shortens the season.
- Industrial users & packers (Dried): Consider covering at least part of 2026/27 Turkish requirements at current stable EUR levels, particularly for organic and high-grade Lerida and Protoben, as quality premiums are likely to persist.
- Exporters (US figs): Prioritise Canada for fresh shipments given proven demand growth, while systematically testing dried fig opportunities in India and Southeast Asia to lock in early market share.
- Growers: Continue investing in young Emerald orchards and efficiency improvements to offset margin pressure from flat prices and rising costs, and closely monitor late-season weather to optimise harvest timing.
3-Day Price Indications (Directional)
- Turkey, Malatya dried figs (EUR/kg FOB): Stable to slightly firm across natural and Lerida grades over the next three days, with limited downside as new-season demand and quality sorting continue.
- Turkey, İzmir organic dried figs (EUR/kg FOB): Firm, with premiums over conventional expected to hold as buyers secure certified volumes early in the season.
- California fresh figs (ex-packhouse, EUR-equivalent): Largely steady near last year’s levels in the very short term, with any moves driven more by local weather and logistics than by structural supply shifts.