Apple Prices Collapse in Isparta, Harvest Left on Trees

October 31, 2026 · GıdaTarım

In Isparta, Turkey's apple production hub, industrial and table apple prices have fallen below production costs, pushing growers to the brink of bankruptcy.

Prices Collapse, Harvest Left on Trees

In Isparta, the apple granary of Turkey, producers are facing a severe crisis due to sharp price drops during the harvest season. The price per kilogram of industrial apples, sold to fruit juice factories, has fallen from 12 lira last year to between 2.5 and 3 lira. This sharp decline, which does not even cover harvesting costs, has led to thousands of tons of quality produce being left to rot on the trees. Truck queues extending in front of factories and the absence of traders in the region have brought producers to the brink of bankruptcy.

Input Costs and Market Stalemate

The crisis in the orchards is not limited to industrial produce but has also directly hit quality table apples. First-class table apples, which sold for up to 50 lira per kilogram last year, are being offered for only 10 to 15 lira this season. The astronomical increase in basic inputs such as daily labor wages, fertilizer, pesticides, diesel, and irrigation electricity has doubled the cost pressure. The low purchase prices announced in the face of rising costs have left the producer's labor completely uncompensated.

Türkçe