Fig Harvest Begins in Mut, Mersin
· NTV Ekonomi
Fig harvest has commenced in Mersin's Mut district, cultivated across 10,000 decares. An expected yield of 90,000 tons and prices reaching up to 200 Turkish Lira per kilogram on the branch are bringing smiles to producers' faces.
Fig Harvest Begins in Mut
The fig harvest season has officially started in the Mut district of Mersin, for which a geographical indication registration was applied for last year. With production carried out across approximately 10,000 decares in the district, an expected yield of 90,000 tons is anticipated this year. Fresh figs, a favorite in the market due to their aroma, large size, and long shelf life, are being harvested from orchards, packed into crates, and dispatched to various regions of Turkey. The selling price of the product on the branch ranges between 150 and 200 Turkish Lira per kilogram.
Challenging Labor Before Sunrise
Farmers working in the fig harvest enter the orchards with the first light of day, engaging in intensive labor. Seher Sarıbaz, a producer from Dere Mahallesi, stated that although some fruit drop was observed due to weather conditions during the ripening stage, they are satisfied with the overall yield. Fig producer Seher Sarıbaz described the challenging harvest process in the early morning hours with the following words:
"We have started our harvest. Thank God, the yields are good. We come early in the morning, we wake up around 05:00. We are in the garden by 05:30. Because we need to pick the figs before the sun rises. If we wait for the sun, the fig's sap and dust cause severe itching. That's why we come early, we finish our work early. Then we continue with our normal lives. The prices are suitable for now."
Fig trader Özge Yerlikaya also stated that they quickly pack and dispatch the products they receive in the morning.
High Added Value in Dried Figs
Some farmers in the region significantly increase the added value of the product by drying fresh figs. Producer Tuba Çabuk, who has been selling dried products for about 15 years, noted that an average of 1 kilogram of dried product is obtained from 5 kilograms of fresh figs. Fig producer Tuba Çabuk explained her goals and market conditions, touching upon the production process:
"In the first years I started, I began with 100-200 kilograms, but now I produce 1.5 tons of dried figs. My goal is to increase it to 2 tons. 1 kilogram of dried fig is obtained from 5 kilograms of fresh figs. The prices also start at an average of 800 lira per kilogram."