"It is an important development that China, one of the world’s major importers (...) of poultry meat, is opening its doors to the Turkish poultry industry," Bekir Pakdemirli agriculture and forestry minister said in a statement after China started receiving the Turkish goods.

Turkey is among the top poultry producers in the world. The country exports poultry meat to 73 countries, including Iraq, Georgia, Japan and Russia.

"In 2019, we exported $613 million (TL 5.07 billion) worth of poultry meat and products and aim to further increase this in the coming period," Pakdemirli said.

Exports came after long discussions and meetings between the two countries, said the minister, adding that they agreed on a draft protocol on the inspection, quarantine and veterinary health conditions of poultry that can be exported from Turkey to China.

A veterinary health certificate model was prepared, and information on 38 businesses with export requests from the country was shared with the Chinese authorities, the statement added. Following the agreement, the export of poultry meat and products could begin as of Oct. 15.

Efforts will be stepped up to increase the number of poultry-exporting enterprises, added Pakdemirli.

Turkish Poultry Meat Producers and Breeders Association (BESD-BIR) Chairperson Naci Kaplan told Anadolu Agency (AA) that there were indirect exports from the sector previously; however, now they are taking place directly with the bilateral agreements made between the two countries.

Kaplan, who said that local producers who make world-standard products by meticulously following food safety rules again proved themselves, noted that exports to China came after the sector opened up to the Japanese market. He said that they will increase the exports to existing markets while continuing to search for new market options.

Saying that exports came after long discussions and meetings between the two countries which took almost 10 years, Kaplan said that profiles of around 38 Turkish firms who applied to export poultry products to China were conveyed to the country, and the firm, Gedik Piliç, was selected to make the first exports.

He said the other firms are now undergoing an auditing process.

The sector’s priority export product to China is chicken feet, Kaplan said, as the country is the No. 1 consumer of this part of the poultry. He added that one of the reasons why chicken feet are largely consumed and preferred in China is because it is affordable. In the coming period, the local producers will also send other kinds of poultry products, he said.

Kaplan said Turkey exports about 52,000 tons of chicken feet to China yearly through indirect means. He said that the added-value from direct exports will increase once related transportation costs are reduced. "In other words, the income of $45 million to $50 million from this export will reach $70 million," Kaplan said.