03.11.2026 11:01
Olive harvest has intensified in Mersin. With this year’s high yield and leftover stocks from last year not being depleted, the price of olive oil per liter has dropped to around 200 TL; this figure is almost the same as prices 3 years ago. An oil factory in Erdemli offered 5 liters of olive oil for sale for one thousand lira.
In Mersin, one of the important olive-growing places in Türkiye, the laborious journey of olive oil, an important product of world cuisine and declared by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, has begun. It has been learned that due to high yield this year, a liter of olive oil is around 200 TL, the prices of 3 years ago.
HARVEST FROM ZERO ELEVATION TO 800 ELEVATION
In Mersin, which ranks among the top production centers in Türkiye for fresh vegetables and fruit, the olive harvest has intensified. Olives grown in many areas across the city, from zero elevation to 800 elevation, are collected laboriously, passed through a sieve, and then taken to oil factories. The olives arriving at the factory are transferred to cauldrons, passed through an aspirator and washed. Then, after passing through a crusher, the olives turn into olive oil, an indispensable part of tables, after a laborious journey of about 2 hours.
In Mersin, which ranks in the top 4 in olive production, the most trees are found in Mut district, while in Tarsus, Silifke and Erdemli districts many farmers grow olives for both home consumption and economic income. Due to high yield this year and stocks not being exhausted from last year, prices have dropped significantly. It was stated that in these days when harvest is intense, the liter price is around 200 TL, and this figure is almost the same as 3 years ago.
THIS YEAR EVERYONE WILL EAT OLIVE OIL
Olive oil factory operator İsmail Öztürk, who stated that they are working intensively with the start of harvest in Erdemli district, explained the process. Öztürk said, "With the harvest, our farmers bring their products and we start processing them here. After our olives are washed, they enter our machines. In our machines, we knead the olives together with the crushers for a while. With this kneading process, we separate the oil and water and deliver the oils to our customers. Olive harvest started this year with an incredible yield. We too have started production intensively."
Drawing attention to the fact that prices have now fallen, Öztürk said, "Because there is too much olive oil in stock, everyone's prices have now started to fall. This year everyone will eat olive oil. So that all our people can eat olive oil, we have put it on sale at the facility in 5-liter PET containers for one thousand lira."
FARMERS: ABUNDANT THIS YEAR
Fatma Meydan, who harvests from the trees around her house, also said that she uses it in all dishes and that the harvest is very good this year.
Yusuf Aslan, who brought the olives he collected to the facility for oil, said, "Weather conditions were abundant this year. It rained a lot and nicely. Since this region is generally irrigated olives, because they are planted at garden edges, olives here generally grow every year. Very rarely do they bear little. So it's not bad. If oil also comes out, that's the best for us."
Farmer Mehmet Şahin said, "We have done the harvest, we will have the olives pressed and get our oil," while Ümmü Soydan said, "We have harvested our olives and brought them, we will get our oil this year. This year is abundant."