Potato Price Gap: 10 Lira in the Field, 40 Lira in the Market
· GıdaTarım
While the summer potato harvest continues with high yields in Aksaray, the product price has dropped to 10 lira at the farm level, reaching 40 lira on market shelves, widening the gap between producer and consumer by fourfold.
Field vs. Market Price Gap
In Aksaray, one of Turkey's significant potato production centers, the disparity between producer and consumer prices is striking as the summer potato harvest progresses. The product, which was bought for 25 lira per kilogram at the farm at the beginning of the season, has recently dropped to 10 lira. However, despite this sharp decline at the farm level, potatoes continue to be sold on market and bazaar shelves for between 35 and 40 lira. While producers lament the depreciation of their product, the fourfold difference continues to strain consumer budgets.
Abundant Harvest in Aksaray Potatoes
Aksaray, among the top 10 potato-producing provinces in Turkey, yields 228,000 tons annually from 63,000 decares. Potato farmer Serhat Karcıoğlu, who cultivates on 6,000 decares in the Selime town of Güzelyurt district, highlighted the increased yield due to rainfall, describing the process as follows:
"The potatoes in our region are of very high quality and taste. We send potatoes to provinces in the Marmara, Black Sea, Eastern, and Southeastern Anatolia regions. We also send industrial-grade products. There is high demand for the potatoes we produce. We have 6,000 decares of cultivated land in Selime town. This year, with the abundant rainfall, it has been a bountiful season. We planted in April. We reached the harvest period without any irrigation."