Joe Turkovich is a prune grower and member of the California Prune Board; he is the international speaker who will share his insights at the upcoming EXPO Ciruelas Secas 2026 and he will share California’s perspective on the next phase of the global prune industry, shaped not only by production shifts but also by the responsibility to build long-term consumer demand.
As global supply expands and leadership positions evolve, sustainable success will depend on more than volume. He says:
Strategic investment in research, nutrition science, and market development – along with thoughtful collaboration across producing countries will determine whether the category grows or becomes increasingly commoditized. During his presentation he will explore how science, differentiation, and shared responsibility can strengthen the global prune industry for the future.
His presentation will be called: “Perspectives from California on the Next Phase of the Global Prune Industry.”
When you refer to the “next phase” of the global prune industry, which structural changes are you primarily pointing to: production, consumption patterns, nutritional positioning, or the business model?
Yes, I will touch on production, consumption and nutrition as keys to the global industry’s future success. Research and collaborative investments are key to how we grow demand together.
From California’s perspective, how do you see the new global production balance evolving over the next five years? Are we likely to see greater concentration, specialization, or diversification among producing countries?
This is beyond my ability to predict. But, the fact is that “demand” or lack of “demand” will either pull or push out production. You can’t wish for demand – you have to work for it. Not all prunes are created equal and not all customers look for the same thing in their prune purchases. A commodity mindset across the industry will not deliver the value to keep many growers in business.
How is the global prune consumer evolving, and what strategic adjustments should the industry make to better connect with younger generations?
Consumers, particularly younger consumers, are interested in whole foods with nutritionally dense health benefits. Marketing our product’s natural, inherent nutraceutical benefits, based on scientific evidence, will be key.
For decades, the industry has competed largely on volume. Does this next phase require competing more on differentiation, science, and value-added rather than on total tons produced?
I will say that to compete on volume only is short-sighted. California, and France for that matter, made an intentional decision to not compete solely on volume long ago. We moved to “value” over “volume” through differentiation. Is it time for Chile to make a similar transition to build demand?
As Chairman of the Nutritional Research Committee of the California Prune Board, do you believe scientific evidence will become one of the key competitive differentiators in the global healthy foods market?
Absolutely! By building a foundation of proven scientific connections between prunes and health benefits, we now have a “license to play” in the healthy/functional foods space.
Having served on the Board of Sunsweet Growers Inc., do you think the next phase will require greater collaboration among producing countries to expand the global category, or are we heading toward more intense competition for market share?
From my perspective, each producing country has a responsibility to build demand by investing in markets. We already have an instrument by which to work collaboratively between producing countries – called International Prune Association (IPA).
If you had to identify the single greatest risk and the single greatest opportunity for the global prune industry in this next stage, what would they be — and why?
The greatest risk is that we fail to build additional demand before the production of more volume. Commoditizing the prune industry with lower quality product is a recipe for disaster. The greatest opportunity is in investing in strategic market promotion that grows the category over time.
The 2026 Expo Ciruelas Secas will be the ideal venue to analyze these trends in depth, share projections for the coming season, and discuss how the industry can adapt to an increasingly dynamic global environment.
For more information, visit https://expociruelassecas.cl/ .
Chileprunes, the Trade Association of Dried Plum Processors and Exporters of Chile, invites you to be part in this event that connects the entire industry chain.
Experience a unique day where producers, suppliers, logistics specialists, and exporters will come together to share experiences, forge strategic alliances, and discover new business opportunities.
See you at EXPO 2026!!!
