The workers' strike left the fruit on the branch! The price dropped to as low as 3 lira per kilogram.

17.11.2025 11:50

In Adana, one of Turkey's important citrus production centers, mandarins were left on the trees last month due to a 9-day strike by agricultural workers. The price of mandarins in the orchard dropped to between 3 and 5 lira per kilogram.

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In Adana, which accounts for 40% of Turkey's citrus production, the harvest of mandarins, planted on approximately 383 thousand acres across the city, began at the end of September. This year, while many products in Çukurova were affected by agricultural frost, early varieties of mandarins such as okitsu, mihowase, early, and primasol were not harmed by the frost.

AGRICULTURAL WORKERS WENT ON STRIKE, MANDARINS REMAINED ON THE TREE

With an average yield of 4 to 6 tons per acre, mandarins found buyers at prices ranging from 8 to 15 lira per kilogram in the first weeks of harvest, depending on their quality. However, during the 9-day strike of agricultural workers, the mandarins remained on the tree, and many early varieties suffered damage. After the workers' strike ended, the start of orange harvesting, combined with an excess of mandarin production, left the mandarins on the tree. The price of mandarins in the orchard dropped to between 3 and 5 lira. On the other hand, Adana mandarins, which are exported to many European countries, especially Russia, could not be exported due to damage on the tree.

"MANDARINS ARE CURRENTLY FINDING BUYERS AT 3-5 LIRA"

Speaking to İhlas News Agency regarding the issue, Yüreğir Agricultural Chamber President Mehmet Akın Doğan stated, "When the workers did not show up for 9 days, the fruit was delayed. This fruit should not have been delayed until now. Mandarins have lost their shelf life and cannot go to the foreign market; they are being consumed in the domestic market. Only the good ones are being sent abroad. Mandarins, which reached a price of up to 15 lira in the first harvest, are currently finding buyers at 3-5 lira," he said.

Doğan emphasized that the only product that farmers could profit from and that was not affected by agricultural frost was mandarin, stating, "Only mandarin was not affected by agricultural frost, and due to the cold, the yield of some varieties increased significantly. If the harvest had been done on time, these fruits would not have remained on the tree. Although the harvest of mandarins was supposed to be completed by the end of October, it is still ongoing as we approach the middle of November."

"10-20% OF THE PRODUCT WILL REMAIN ON THE TREE"

Indicating that mandarins will remain on the tree in Hatay and Adana, Doğan said, "Due to the high yield of mandarins, 10-20% of the product will remain on the tree in Hatay and Adana. If they had been harvested on time, these fruits would not have remained on the tree. This has harmed both the national economy and our farmers," he concluded.