Citrus Left on the Tree in Cukurova as Exports Stall
· Tarım Pusulası
In Cukurova, citrus producers are facing a crisis with rising input costs and closed export routes, leaving lemons and early mandarins on the trees; growers are urgently seeking public support.
Lemon and early mandarin producers across the Cukurova region, particularly in Adana, are facing severe marketing difficulties during the harvest season. Ayhan Barut, a member of the Grand National Assembly's Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Affairs Commission, stated that the citrus sector is in a severe bottleneck due to rising costs and closed trade routes. Emphasizing that produce is being left on the trees in the region, Ayhan Barut called for urgent government intervention:
Ayhan Barut noted that the extraordinary increases in production inputs are escalating the pressure on producers, stating that costs for diesel, fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation, electricity, labor, packaging, and transportation have reached unaffordable levels. Recording that the low price in the field is not reflected on supermarket shelves, Ayhan Barut made the following statements:
Addressing the price gap between the producer and the consumer and the market imbalance, Ayhan Barut voiced his criticism with these words:
Barut argued that logistics costs must be urgently subsidized by the public to keep export corridors open, and called for the establishment of alternative sea routes to the Russian market via the ports of Mersin and Iskenderun. Stating that new trade gates, especially in Europe, need to be activated, Ayhan Barut warned:
It was also noted that diplomatic initiatives for Black Sea transportation should be intensified and that exporters should be provided with suitable financing opportunities.
Barut demanded the announcement of a comprehensive support package to prevent citrus producers from abandoning production, emphasizing that farmer debts and loans need to be urgently restructured. To prevent produce from rotting in the fields, Ayhan Barut proposed the activation of public procurement mechanisms and domestic consumption incentives: