Harvest is High in the Fields, but Grape Producers are in Distress
· GıdaTarım
While the Sultani seedless grape harvest in Manisa has begun with high yields, rising input costs and uncertainty over the floor price have brought producers to the brink of bankruptcy.
Harvest Season Begins in Manisa Vineyards
The harvest season has kicked off with intense activity in Manisa, one of the world's most important seedless dried grape production centers. Farmers are working from before dawn in the Sultani seedless grape vineyards, which generate hundreds of millions of dollars in export revenue. According to Manisa Commodity Exchange data, while 210,243 tons of seedless dried grapes were registered last season, exports as of August 22 reached 139,400 tons. Despite high yields and quality harvests, producers are continuing their harvest with concern due to increasing production costs.
Input Costs Are Pressuring Producers
Fertilizer, diesel, agricultural pesticides, irrigation, and labor expenses are making viticulture activities more costly every day. Evaluating the current situation, Sinan Gençeli, Vice Chairman of the Manisa Sarıgöl Chamber of Agriculture, stated:
"The harvest yield is high, and the quality is good. However, farmers have never had such a bad season. This is because costs have increased every single day."
Stating that farmers are forced to sell their grapes in the free market between 18-25 liras, Sinan Gençeli noted:
"The cost per kilogram of grapes for the producer has reached approximately 19 liras. The cost for a decare of vineyard has reached 52,000 liras. It is not possible for farmers to make a profit under these conditions."
Price Uncertainty Threatens the Future
The fact that an official purchase floor price has not yet been announced by the Turkish Grain Board (TMO) and TARİŞ deepens the uncertainty in the field. Evaluating the process, Sinan Gençeli, Vice Chairman of the Manisa Sarıgöl Chamber of Agriculture, warned:
"Producers have started the harvest, but they cannot see what lies ahead. Price uncertainty has brought farmers to the point of collapse."
Drawing attention to the situation of vineyard owners struggling to pay their loan debts and cover labor costs, Sinan Gençeli concluded his remarks as follows:
"Producers cannot pay their debts; they struggle to cover the wages of their workers. Some farmers are now considering selling their land. If grapes do not yield profit, producers cannot remain on their land."