Price hike in the market, rebellion in the fields

The consequences of harsh climate conditions and the devastating frost in April are being reflected in high fruit prices on the market, while produce is being sold for next to nothing in the fields as harvest season begins. The price problems experienced with onions in early June have now impacted crops like watermelons and tomatoes. Producers noted that despite the lack of a high yield, the price of watermelons has dropped to 1 lira in the field, while tomatoes have fallen to 3 lira.

According to data from the Union of Turkish Chambers of Agriculture, the price difference between producers and markets has reached 600 percent for watermelons, 284 percent for onions, and 208 percent for tomatoes. Antakya Chamber of Agriculture President Mehmet Muzaffer Okay noted that production costs for these products continue to rise, saying, "Prices have risen due to the lack of supply in citrus and fruit affected by the frost. Vegetables like watermelons, melons, and tomatoes in the fields are being sold for next to nothing due to the excess supply and, in part, to the decline in purchasing power of citizens."

IT DOESN'T MAKE MONEY FOR THE MANUFACTURER

Okay, noting that the price of watermelon has dropped to 1-2 Turkish Lira, emphasized that this year will be a year where farmers won't be able to make any money at all. Okay, noting that leaving produce in the field due to plowing and pest damage also comes at a cost for producers, continued: "The produce costs money the moment it leaves the farmer's hands. The cost of producing tomatoes on one acre of land is 30,000 Turkish Lira. Everyone is relying on the farmer. Let fruits and vegetables be cheap, let inflation stay low, but also let the cost of diesel and fertilizer not rise. Farming has become an undesirable profession, like the plague."

Baki Remzi Suiçmez, President of the Union of Chambers of Agricultural Engineers of Turkey, said, "The harvest has begun in the fields. The farm-based price for watermelons is 1 lira. Producers are forced to sell their produce. There's price pressure in the fields. Production costs are not at that level."

Consumption is low, exports are low

Mutlu Doğru, President of the Adana Farmers' Union, commented on his social media account, "In Adana, watermelons have dropped to 2 TL in the field, while tomatoes have dropped to 3 TL. The situation wasn't much different for potatoes and onions. When over-planting, consumption is low, and export opportunities are scarce, farmers are losing money."

Fruit prices rise, vegetable prices drop record

At the Antalya Wholesale Market, the heart of the fruit and vegetable trade, prices have fluctuated significantly compared to last year. Prices for products like apricots, cherries, and plums, which were affected by the frost, have increased by 100% to 445% compared to last year. Onions and potatoes, which producers have lost money on this year's production and dumped on the streets, have seen prices drop by up to 37%. Cucumbers, with a 61% drop, watermelon, with a 15% drop, and green peppers, with an 11% drop, were among the farm produce whose prices dropped.