Agricultural Production Halts in Kadirli Following Fuel Price Hike

September 17, 2026 · GıdaTarım

With diesel prices exceeding 100 lira per liter after the latest increase, producers in Kadirli, Osmaniye, are unable to cultivate their fields, and combine harvester owners have idled their machinery.

Three-Digit Price Shock for Diesel

Following the latest fuel price hike of 4 lira 81 kuruş per liter, diesel prices have surpassed the 100 lira mark, crossing a historic threshold. Producers engaged in agricultural activities in Kadirli, Osmaniye, reacted strongly to diesel prices reaching three digits. A farmer, expressing their helplessness in the face of rising costs, stated:

'Diesel is now three digits, tractors won't be able to move. We'll have to go back to the moldboard plow and oxen. We're on the verge of tears, we'll return to the old system.'

Machinery Idled, Fields Remain Uncultivated

With agricultural mechanization grinding to a halt due to high fuel expenses, a local combine harvester owner described the predicament:

'We had a thousand decares of sunflower seeds. Due to the diesel price hike, we've stopped our combine harvester at home and are going out for daily wages. It's more profitable. You operate a huge machine, prices increase, money doesn't circulate, you write it down in your ledger, get paid 20-25 days later, and then you come to the gas station having faced a 20-30 thousand lira price increase. I'm paying imaginary money for something I haven't received. For this reason, we've stopped our machine, it's not working. This is the first time diesel has hit three digits. We face a problem every year.'

Another farmer, involved in both agriculture and animal husbandry, voiced the production bottleneck:

'It's 100 lira now, very expensive. We can't afford it, we don't have the means. I'm both a farmer and I raise livestock. The fields will remain uncultivated, we won't be able to plow them.'

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