No cherries for the Royal Family this year
Millions Like low-income households, the British Royal Family won't be able to enjoy Turkish cherries this year. Members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly's Agricultural Frost Investigation Commission conducted an inspection in Eskişehir to assess the current situation of cherries, which have reached 10 lira apiece domestically and whose exports have declined by up to 90 percent.
Commission Chair Adem Korkmaz, an AKP deputy for Burdur, stated that Eskişehir cherries have become nearly unharvestable due to frost. The cherries, which grow in August in the Mihalıççık district at an altitude of 1,325 meters, the last cherry harvested in Türkiye, were also sent specifically to the British Royal Family every year.
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Mihallıççık cherries, which yield 5,000-7,000 tons annually, are attracting attention with their distinctive flavor and are exported to Germany, France, England, Russia, Japan, and China. The cherries grown in this district have a distinct aroma due to the high altitude and the wide temperature difference between day and night. The low yields due to agricultural frost will also significantly impact exports.
Commission Chairman Korkmaz explained the importance of cherries for Eskişehir, saying, "Cherries create a significant economic impact in this region. Compensating our producers for the damages and costs of this work is crucial. Their economic structures are similar. Grapes in the Manisa region, citrus in Mersin, apples in Niğde and Karaman, and apricots in Malatya were affected by the frost." AKP Malatya Deputy Bülent Tüfenkçi and CHP Eskişehir Deputy Utku Çakırözer also participated in the investigation.
90 percent loss in exportsCherry production declined due to agricultural frost. While domestic prices increased, cherry exports also fell to their lowest level in recent years.
AEGEAN Hayrettin Uçak, Vice President of Exporters' Associations Coordinating and President of the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters' Association, commented on the loss in cherry exports due to the agricultural frost. Uçak said, "The loss of up to 90% of our cherry harvest, which we rank first in the world in terms of production, due to the agricultural frost has had a significant impact on the decline in our fresh fruit exports. Last year, we exported 67,000 tons of cherries, but this season we're down to around 6,000 tons. We can say the season is over now. You can see the loss in the decrease in exports."
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