14.09.2025 12:21
The famous Halhali olive of Hatay has been hit by drought. In the city, approximately 1 million trees cultivated on an average of 60,000 acres have experienced yield losses of up to 75%. While some trees in the orchards produced no fruit at all, the olives on others remained smaller than usual. A Halhali olive producer stated, "I have neither seen nor experienced such a drought."
The harvest season has begun for the halhalı olive, which is grown in small and medium sizes in Hatay and distinguished by its aroma. Due to the lack of rainfall throughout the year, drought and high temperatures have caused significant losses in the products.
75% YIELD LOSS
In the city, approximately 1 million trees grown on an average of 60 thousand acres have experienced yield losses of up to 75%. The expected yield of 800 kilograms per acre has dropped to as low as 200 kilograms. In gardens with limited irrigation, trees have not produced any fruit, while the olives that have formed are smaller than normal.
"I HAVE NEITHER SEEN NOR EXPERIENCED SUCH A THING"
Mevlüt Sağır, the producer of halhalı olives, which are preferred throughout the country for their taste, said, "I am 58 years old, and I have neither seen nor experienced such a drought until today. Normally, our halhalı olive trees are not irrigated, as they are naturally resilient and deep-rooted plants. The halhalı olive trees here are also 150-200 years old. However, despite being drought-resistant, they could only withstand this drought to a certain extent. As you can see, there is no fruit."
"WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT NEXT YEAR"
Sağır expressed his concerns for the coming days, stating, "We have set this year aside; we are mainly worried about next year. Because our halhalı olive trees have reached the point of drying out, shedding their leaves, and cannot prepare themselves for the next year. The situation is really dire. In the past, there have been droughts from time to time, but we are experiencing this for the first time. Just think, not a single drop of rain has fallen here since February. In the past, February, March, April, and May were rainy months. In our childhood, we would collect snails after the rain, and water would flow from the streams. Now, none of that exists. We are facing a severe drought."