Pepper Harvest Gains Momentum in Samsun and Kilis Fields

September 11, 2026 · Tarım TV

In Samsun and Kilis, key agricultural centers of Turkey, the harvest of bell peppers for paste and processing is underway with expectations of high yields.

In the Bafra district of Samsun, located in the north of Turkey, the bell pepper harvest continues at full speed. Samsun Deputy Çiğdem Karaaslan, Samsun Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Kemal Yılmaz, Bafra Mayor Hamit Kılıç, farmers, and village headmen attended a harvest event held in the fields of Osmanbeyli Neighborhood. The efficiency of agricultural production in the region was emphasized at the event. Samsun Deputy Çiğdem Karaaslan stated that 4 to 7 tons of produce are obtained per decare from agricultural products in the fertile Bafra Plain. It was noted that while the harvest of summer vegetables is ongoing in the plain, planting of winter vegetables has also begun.

Samsun Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Kemal Yılmaz emphasized the critical importance of bell peppers for the Bafra Plain. Reporting that planting has been done on approximately 32,000 decares across the province, Samsun Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Kemal Yılmaz made the following assessments regarding the region's yield expectations:

Samsun Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Kemal Yılmaz also touched upon the market distribution and export of the harvested products, explaining the shipment processes as follows:

Drawing attention to the economic value of Bafra bell peppers, Samsun Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Kemal Yılmaz noted that the product brings an annual income of approximately 3.5 to 4 billion Turkish Liras to the provincial economy. Stating that Bafra's soil and climate structure are highly suitable for production, Samsun Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Kemal Yılmaz provided the following information regarding quality standards and the registration process:

Speaking at the harvest program, Samsun Deputy Çiğdem Karaaslan stated that they will continue to accelerate investments that will strengthen regional agriculture. Expressing that they are always by the side of the producers, Samsun Deputy Çiğdem Karaaslan said the following regarding agricultural and regional investments:

The harvest of seedlings planted in mid-May will continue uninterrupted in the fields until the last days of October.

In Kilis, one of the most important red pepper centers in southern Turkey, harvest and drying efforts have also begun. Kilis Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Levent Küçük reported that pepper farming is carried out on a total of 53,000 decares across the province. Emphasizing that pepper fields constitute about two-thirds of the total vegetable-cultivated land in the city, Levent Küçük stated that Hasancalı village in the Musabeyli district is particularly a center for spice peppers. In the vast lands of Elbeyli district and its surroundings, paste and drying peppers are predominantly grown.

Kilis Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Levent Küçük stated that the peppers collected in Kilis are transformed into added value in local industry and shared important data regarding the industrial infrastructure. Touching upon the processing capacity of the agricultural facilities in the city, Kilis Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Levent Küçük explained the production volume with the following words:

The collected fresh products are processed in factories and traditional drying areas before being offered to the market.

Pointing to Kilis's strong position in the red pepper market, Kilis Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Levent Küçük noted that the city ranks third in Turkey for spice red pepper production. Sharing official data, Kilis Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Levent Küçük conveyed the city's goals with the following statements:

Farmer Mikail Duman, who produces in Hasancalı village of Musabeyli district, said that this year's climate conditions and abundant rainfall have positively affected the yield. Describing how they dry the fresh peppers they collect in the open air to make them suitable for spices, Hasancalı Village Producer Mikail Duman expressed his yield expectations as follows:

Producers who obtain high yields from their 40 decares of land will offer their products to the market after the drying processes.

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