Logistics Crisis and Soaring Shipping Costs Leave Citrus Unharvested

November 6, 2026 · Milliyet Ekonomi

Shipment disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and skyrocketing freight costs hit early citrus; falling lemon prices to as low as 2 lira per kilogram are insufficient to save producers.

Early Lemons Left on the Branch

Lemon producers, who started the new season with high yields and productivity, have become unable to sell their produce due to low domestic demand and shrinking export channels. Field prices for Meyer, an early lemon variety, have fallen to 2-3 lira per kilogram, leading many producers who cannot cover their costs to abandon harvesting and leave the crop on the branch. Mehmet Akın Doğan, Chairman of the Adana Yüreğir Chamber of Agriculture, described the producer's desperation with the following words:

'For a while, ship traffic was completely closed, and during this period, early citrus varieties ripened. It has opened up a bit now, but it's very limited compared to before. Domestic consumption is low. Meyer lemons are left on the branch, not even fetching 2-3 lira. Oranges are 3-5 lira. Enderdonat lemons are 5-8 lira. There are no losses this year due to the climate, but we are not getting the value for our good harvest.'

Ship Crisis Hits Citrus Exports

The reduction in ship passages through the Strait of Hormuz, which was closed following regional geopolitical conflicts and later partially reopened, has dealt a heavy blow to Turkey's citrus trade. As sea shipments were disrupted, products that could not be delivered to the market on time piled up in warehouses and orchards, forcing exporters to seek alternative routes. Extended delivery times and rising freight costs are weakening the competitiveness of citrus, while struggling producers are demanding urgent freight support and cost adjustments to prevent market loss.

Trucking Costs Have Doubled

Exporters, forced to turn to road transport due to disruptions in sea routes, are facing significantly higher logistics bills. Hayrettin Uçak, Chairman of the Sector Board of the Turkish Fruit and Vegetable Products Exporters' Associations, highlighted the additional burden of road transport with the following assessment:

'Trucking means a 50% increase in costs. Additionally, the transit time extends by 10-15 days compared to sea freight.'

The extended transportation times lead to quality losses in fresh fruits with limited shelf life and are rapidly shrinking export volumes.

Exorbitant Gap from Field to Shelf

In the domestic market, intermediary, processing, and transportation costs for shipments from Mersin and Antalya to major cities push the final price of the product far beyond its field value. Münir Şen, Chairman of the Mersin Commodity Exchange Council, revealed the market gap with these words:

'Even if you buy a product for free from Mersin or Antalya, or for 100 lira, you add 20-21 lira in intermediary costs. The process is extensive, the road is long. This 21 lira cost, with the addition of the market's expenses, becomes at least 35 lira. In a traded product, due to high inflation and costs shaped by these expenses, the product reaches the end consumer expensively, even with sales made at a loss by the producer.'

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