15.09.2025 16:03
In Muğla, harvesting activities are ongoing for the yellow sesame grown in the fields of Akçapınar and Akyaka. Producers, noting that the price of sesame, which is in high demand from the Japanese, was 150 TL per kilogram last year, are complaining about the difficulty of finding workers.
The golden yellow color, aroma, and flavor of Gökova sesame, which is especially popular among the Japanese and used in sushi dishes, are expected to yield more this year due to favorable climatic conditions compared to previous years.
The harvest of Gökova sesame, which has an increased aroma due to the iodine winds blowing from the Gökova Gulf, begins early in the morning, while producers are struggling to find workers. Sesame producers state that they obtain their products by harvesting alternately.
HARVEST IN AUGUST-SEPTEMBER
In Gökova sesame, which is obtained entirely through traditional methods without irrigation or fertilization, the harvesting process begins on August 10 and continues until mid-September. The sesame seedlings, which are pulled from the field by hand, are stacked properly and left to dry in the sun.
The most important part of Gökova sesame begins with removing the golden yellow sesame seeds from their pods, which have been left to dry. At this stage, the sesame is again shaken by hand, and the harvest is done in the field with the help of the wind.
"WE ARE EXPERIENCING A LABOR SHORTAGE"
Sesame producer Ayşe Akyüz, who stated that they are having difficulty finding workers, said the following regarding the issue:
"We are harvesting now, and we will shake it in 21 days. Our harvest has started. There is a labor shortage; we are bringing in workers from outside. They don't come much, you know. We are doing it ourselves. Last year, it started at 150 lira per kilo. I don't know about this year. Actually, it doesn't save us. The rent for the field is 2,000 lira. But I think those who buy and sell earn more."
"THE JAPANESE ARE BUYING"
Adem Akyüz, who stated that the biggest buyers of Gökova sesame are the Japanese, said, "Our sesame is very popular because it is oily. When traders come, they say it is first-class sesame. There are no chemicals. It is dry sesame. It is harvested at night when the breeze is blowing. It goes to Japan. Our sesame goes everywhere. The Japanese use it on top of fish. They use it on sushi."