Cherry growers in the Hadim town of Konya, located in central Turkey, are on high alert against the threat of frost and stand guard in their fields by the fire day and night.
The Napoleon variety of cherry in Hadim is the latest to be harvested in Turkey and a majority of the production gets exported, so the growers are doing their best to protect their products against frost.
As the temperatures rose, the trees started to blossom but now on the high altitude plains of Konya, it has started to snow which made growers in lower altitude plains anxious and concerned.
The growers are burning hay and wood to prevent frost in their fields.
Grower Tevfik Ates: “90 % of our production is exported to Europe, that’s why we need to grow products at a high quality level. The climate conditions in the area are making life very difficult for us. We are always on the alert to protect our produce.”
Another grower Serdar Sait Ates: “I brought 3 tons of hay to burn in my field and we burn the hay about 15 meters away from the cherry trees. We also have a fogging machine. By using the smoke and fog, we try to keep the flowers of the trees warm.”
Source: Mynet