Citrus production in Cukurova, one of Turkey's most important agriculture hubs, is expected to reach 1 million 650 thousand tons - an increase of 22% compared to last year.
The orange, mandarin and grapefruit harvests continue in an area of 47.000 hectares in Cukurova, which is located near the southern Turkish city of Adana.
Nearly 1 million 355 thousand tons of citrus were produced last year on an area of 45.400 hectares. This year the production is expected to reach 1 million 650 thousand tons, increased by an average of 22%.
The bumper harvest came as good news for the farmers.
Mehmet Akin Dogan, manager of the town's Agriculture Chambers Coordination Board stated that, due to the hot weather, the production of all citrus except grapefruits has increased.
Dogan said that the town meets a majority of the domestic demand while it also exports a lot. "Citrus is a very valuable product for us. Since we export this product, we believe it needs to be promoted. The production of citrus in Adana is gradually increasing. We recently ordered a large amount of saplings to grow more citrus." Dogan added.
Increase in production
Stating that the harvest continues, Dogan said: "Turkey has 155.000 hectares growing citrus. This year, a production of 5 million 400 thousand tonnes of citrus is expected."
Orange and mandarin producer Ibrahim Paksoy expressed his satisfaction and said that citrus production is going very well.
Paksoy pointed to the increased productivity this season compared to last and said: "This season we have an increased production of oranges and mandarins. We have an abundance of fruits and this is very good news."
Here are the citrus production numbers in Adana for 2017-2018:
| Product | 2017 Production(ton) | 2018 Production(ton) |
| Orange | 407.178 | 475.000 (estimated) |
| Mandarin | 526.468 | 630.000 (estimated) |
| Lemon | 216.032 | 405.000 (estimated) |
| Grapefruit | 204.393 | 140.000 (estimated) |
Source: Bloomberg