“*Can we briefly introduce Nims Gıda? When, by whom, with what objectives was it established?
Nims Gıda was established in 2020 to produce value-added agricultural products with the principles of organic agriculture and sustainability. As Nims Gıda, we aim to be the supplier of the largest food producers in the world and to reveal the potential of Turkey’s value-added organic agricultural products. In addition to Freeze-Dry products, we will also supply our customers with fruit and vegetable products whose freshness is preserved by freezing with the IQF system.

*What kind of contributions and support does İskefe Holding have?
Alkoç Deri, whose foundations were laid in 1957, is one of the biggest and most successful groups not only in Turkey but also in the Eurasian continent, which has always been one step ahead of change in its journey of more than 63 years. Iskefe Holding, which aims to comply with international standards and continuous development in all its activities, is a world player that is advancing step by step towards the goal of achieving the success it has achieved in its country in the world. İskefe Holding has 7 Leather Factories, Gelatin Production Factory, Protein Production Factory, Hydrolyzate Production Factory, Animal Origin Liquid Amino Acid Production Factory and R&D Center.

İskefe Holding has been the biggest supporter of Nims Gıda in reaching its goals, with its structure that enables direct access to testing services with its R&D center and advanced laboratories, as well as exports to more than 60 countries and high access to world markets.

*Can you tell us about your products and services? Where is your production center?
We offer the fruits that are freshly picked from the field to the market by drying them with Freeze Dry technology. Freeze-dried fruits are used in the ready-made food industry, especially in breakfast and patisserie products, and as snacks. Our production center is located in Balıkesir Organized Industrial Zone, which is the center point of the agricultural lands of the Aegean and Marmara regions. Our facility, which makes production to serve customer demands for 12 months with a storage area of 2,500 tons, is the largest facility in Turkey that can perform both frozen food operation and Freeze Dry production under the same roof.

*Can you talk about Freeze Dry technology? What do you do differently in your products and services, what are your most basic features that make you stand out among your competitors?
Freeze Dry technology is a freeze drying method. With this method, the water in the fruit is removed by sublimation and dried fruit is obtained. In traditional sun drying and air drying methods, great losses are experienced in the vitamin, amino acid and protein values ​​of the products. The most important difference of drying with Freeze-Dry technology is that in this method, beneficial elements for the human body such as vitamins and protein are preserved in the fruits and they are consumed at a high rate. No additives, sugar are added and the high nutritional value of the products is preserved. At the end of freeze drying, the remaining moisture content in the fruit is much lower than other methods. In this way, the fruit is preserved for a much longer time without losing its properties. Thanks to this technology, we make our healthy, low-calorie and natural snack products to be consumed in all seasons.

*How have you developed since the establishment, how much have you grown? Where did you come from?
Although it is our first year, we signed contracts with more than 30 producers and produced 1,000 tons of organic strawberries. In this process, we have established reputable networks both in Turkey and abroad. Since our establishment, we have been faced with a favor that has pleased us very much. Both the professional and sincere interests of the manufacturers have already enabled us to take an active position in the market. We have reached the level to make a production plan of 5,000 tons in the new season. In this way, we anticipate that we will fill our capacity and reach a turnover of 8 million Euros by the end of 2022.

*Who are your suppliers? How many customers do you have? What is the weight of SMEs in your supply and customer range?
The majority of our suppliers are our fruit producer farmers. Of course, we also have solution partnerships with packaging manufacturers. We are trying to create all the links of the chain on both the supply and customer side, with our target markets and companies that provide the traceability and sustainability conditions required by our products, with which we can grow together. Strong partnerships with strong SMEs will certainly strengthen us and our customers.

What kind of year has 2020 been for you, how have you been affected by the pandemic? How much growth did you show at the end of the year and how much turnover did you reach?
During the pandemic process, we witnessed the increase in interest in foods with high nutritional value and the disruption of production in some countries that were negatively affected by the epidemic process. The need for reliable sources in the production of agro-industrial products that require high technology has also increased. The Freeze Drying method is among the drying methods that require the highest technology. In parallel with the increasing interest in the products produced with this technology, we predicted that our country’s chances in exporting value-added agricultural products would increase in this period.

**How was the first half of 2021? What are your goals for 2021 year-end turnover, growth, number of customers, etc.?
The first half of our investments started with the design, installation and commissioning of the facility. Our goal for 2021 was to build our team and streamline our network. In this sense, I can say that we have come a long way. We have already taken our place in the 2022 market.

*Which issues stand out on your agenda for 2021? Are there any new investments you are planning, is the budget clear? Can you talk about your agency?
First of all, we can talk about our raw material investments. With our investment project, in which agricultural production supports are the main subject, we will increase our organic raw material capacity by 5 times in 2022. Retail packaging investment is also among the issues on our agenda. It seems possible to realize this investment before 2022. There will be an additional investment of around 2 million euros in total.

*How many people are your team? Do you have a goal to grow your team in 2021?
By 2021, our team has reached 40 people. Our goal in 2022 will be to reach 100 people.

*Do you export? Or will you? Have you determined your target countries and markets?
We aim to export most of our products for industrial consumption. USA, Canada, Germany and the UK are at the top of our target markets. We plan to cooperate with global groups that use Freeze-Dry products in the production of breakfast, yogurt, fruit bars, instant soups and beverages.

*How much of the production do you want to export and how much do you want to increase the share of exports in turnover?
We plan to export 98 percent of our freeze-dried fruits. Of course, its share in the turnover will also be proportional to this.

*Where do you aim to see Nims Gıda in the long term (for example, after five years)?
We aim to see Nims Gıda on the same stage with global players in the organic market with its product portfolio that has already managed to adapt to the food consumption habits of the future and is developing day by day. We shape our entire setup and culture in this direction. Nims Gıda will assume the role of producer in the very short term and will produce its own raw materials with the right agricultural activities. Digital agriculture is at the top of our agenda. As a technology pioneer, it is our biggest dream to support our farmers.

*Could you give information about the situation of the Freeze Dry market in the world and in Turkey? How do you see the potential in this market?
Freeze Dry technology has reached a market size of 40 billion dollars in the world today. It is expected to grow at an annual average of 7 percent until 2025. For now, Turkey’s place in this market is negligible. As of the end of 2020, approximately 1.4 billion dollars of dried fruits and products were exported from our country. Our total exports were 156 billion dollars, and our total exports of agricultural products were 24.3 billion dollars. I would like to remind you that Turkey is the leading fruit producer and an agricultural country in the world. We will work with all our strength to reveal this potential of our country and to contribute to production and exports.”