ISTANBUL, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) — Türkiye’s signature crops, including apricots, hazelnuts, grapes, and cherries, are facing their toughest season on record this year, with output expected to hit historic lows due to severe spring frosts followed by summer heatwaves, industry insiders said.
In April, temperatures plunged to as low as 17 degrees below zero Celsius in the central and eastern part of the country, inflicting severe damage. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumakli described it as one of the most severe agricultural frosts in the country’s history.
The blow was compounded in July when temperatures soared to 45 degrees, according to the latest report from the Aegean Dried Fruit and Products Exporters’ Association.
“I have been in the dried fruit export business for over 40 years. This is the first time I have witnessed such a widespread natural disaster affecting 36 provinces and causing extensive crop losses,” Mehmet Ali Isik, president of the association, stated in the report.
Malatya in central Anatolia, which is estimated to supply 85 percent of the world’s dried apricot needs, has been hit hardest by these extreme weather conditions, experiencing its most challenging production season in history in 2025.
“The annual production in the province, normally around 100,000 tons, is forecast to drop below 5,000 tons this year,” Isik told Xinhua in an interview on Sunday.
He called for urgent financial support, warning that producers cannot sustain their orchards while weighed down by loans carrying interest rates of 50-60 percent. Businesses, he added, must also be supported to protect jobs and cover fixed costs.
The sharp decline underscores the ongoing challenges in production and market conditions facing Türkiye’s dried apricot exports, which reach 115 destinations worldwide, including China, the United States, and European countries.
According to data from Malatya Turgut Ozal University, Türkiye’s dried apricot exports this July totaled 2,858 tons, down 17.62 percent from 3,469 tons in July 2024.
Despite the significant drop in output, sector representatives said carryover stocks will help cushion the impact on exports.
“We have around 30,000 tons of stock from last year; this will be the sector’s biggest support to keep export operations running in the new season,” Isik emphasized.
Isik also noted that cherries suffered losses similar to apricots, and grape yields declined by 30 to 40 percent. The widespread shortages have driven fruit prices sharply higher nationwide.
The price of one kilogram of cherries in major supermarkets reached 300 Turkish liras (7.38 U.S. dollars) in August, up from 150 to 180 liras last year. Meanwhile, the price of a 200-gram package of Malatya dried apricots is 242 liras this year, reflecting an increase of up to 50 percent compared to last year. ■