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First apricot harvest of the season done in Silifke: $100 per kilo

The first harvested apricot in Silifke district of Mersin was sent to Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir for ₺100 per kilo. Stating that temperatures reduce efficiency, the producer Hamza Gokler said, “While we have bought 7-8 tons of products from the same garden in the past years, this number has dropped to 2.5 tons this year.”

In the town of Silifke, the center of fruit growing in Mersin, the first green apricot harvest of the season was made after strawberries and blueberries.

The first harvested apricots are sent both to the domestic market and for export. Silifke Chamber of Agriculture Chairman Cafer Doygun said that it is expected that approximately 11 thousand tons of harvest will be made from the 1,200 decares of apricot orchards throughout the district this year.

Doygun stated that Turkey’s first in the field of pickling, due to the microclimate of the region, said, “The producers of Silifkeli, which produced Turkey’s first strawberries and green plums, also started harvesting the apricots they cover.”

Hamza Gokler, who produces apricots under a cover in Silifke’s Kabasakalli District, said that they are proud to have the first apricot harvest of the year in Silifke and sent the first harvest products to Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir for ₺100 per kilo.

“TEMPERATURES DECREASED EFFICIENCY”

Stating that they expect approximately 2.5 tons of products from the apricot garden, which is covered by 4 decares, Gokler said, “The product is very delicious. We grow it in a completely natural environment. This year, the yield has dropped due to extremely hot weather. While 7-8 tons of products were bought from the same garden in the past years, this number has decreased to 2.5 tons this year.”

“PRICES STARTED WITH ₺100”

Underlining that they are pleased with the prices, Gokler said, “Prices started with ₺100 this year. We do not expect the price to go down too much. Because the yield was high, prices started with ₺80-90 last year and dropped a lot in a single moment. This year, we expect the prices to be around ₺100 as the yield is low.”

Producer Hamza Gokler added that he planted a “magador” type apricot sapling brought from Spain to his 4 decare land, and that this species matured 15 days earlier than other apricot varieties known as “early” in the Mediterranean Region.

Source: NTV / Translated by Irem Yildiz

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