Ziraat-900 cherries grown in Konya’s Hadim district in the south and known abroad as ‘Turkish cherries’ have seen a decrease in demand, especially from Russia and the product’s quality has been affected by poor weather conditions leading the price to fall to €1 a kilo.
Grown in the cooler climates of the Taurus Mountains, the late maturing and high quality cherries were mostly sold for €5 a kilo abroad last year, but because of a lack of demand this year they have stayed on the branches. Hadim district Food, Agriculture and Livestock Director Erol Iscan said in a statement to an Anadolu Agency reporter that Konya’s cherry production takes first place in Turkey. Iscan states that the Ziraat-900 cherries aimed at export make up 90% of cherry production in Hadim; they are exported to several countries but to Russia in particular. Cherries are grown on 20,000 decares of land in the region.
Rainfall negatively impacted the quality of the cherries
This year’s rainfall caused a decline in the quality of the cherries, states Iscan, “We observed a steep drop in prices in our district this year. Wet weather negatively impacted the quality of the cherries. This directly affected the prices. The second reason is the economic crisis in Russia. Relations with this country hit crisis level and this affected buying power. The third reason is over production in Greece and Spain. Their cherries can still be found at markets in Russia and because this has not been dissolved, it is another factor. Our cherry growers are experiencing hard times because a large part of our country’s exports were made to Russia.”
Iscan states that numerous export firms came to the district but most of the firms did not make any purchases, “We expect the stocks in the Russian market to dissolve. Last year prices ranged between €3.25-5.00, this year €1. We expect the prices to rise slightly in the coming week.”
Hadim Stone Fruits Producers Association President Ali Tan stressed that cherry growing is a laborious job. Cherries for export cost €1-1.30, for the domestic market €0.30-0.50, Tan explains, “Our farmers cannot make money because of the high inputs. Most of our farmers can’t cover the costs of collecting the cherries so the product is staying on the branches. Last year there was an excess of product, but it made money. This year money is not being made.”
Cherries stay on the branches in Huyuk, northern Konya
Huyuk Chamber of Agriculture President Hurriyet Sahin notes a spread in organic strawberry production in recent years in the district, and a decrease in demand for the Napoleon cherry which was being exported to England, Germany, Russia, and European countries such as Macedonia and Arab countries. Due to this lack of demand the cherries have not been collected but remain on the branches. “Previously, we learnt that the countries receiving our products, for economic and other reasons, no longer need them,” said Sahin, and he also noted that within the country the price of cherries dropped because the region’s harvest time coincided with that of other districts. According to Sahin the price of the produce on the domestic markets is between €0.30-0.50, and this will not even be able to recover the costs of production.
Source: milliyet.com.tr
