Severe Frost Hits Türkiye’s Fruit Supply: Prices Expected to Surge Up to 100% This Summer

Türkiye’s fruit production has been severely disrupted by widespread frost damage, with experts warning that consumers could face a 50% to 100% increase in fruit prices during the upcoming summer season. The frost, which struck during February, March, and April, damaged over 15 types of fruits, including apples, pears, cherries, plums, and apricots, across 34 provinces.

This year’s May 14 World Farmers’ Day will be marked with uncertainty and hardship as farmers and exporters grapple with significant losses in agricultural output.

Fruit Shortage Alert: Experts Say “Almost Nothing Left to Sell”

According to DW Türkçe, Türkiye’s key agricultural zones—including Çukurova, the Aegean, and the Black Sea regions—experienced the worst frost in 30 years.
Nevzat Akça, head of the Antalya Wholesale Market Traders’ Association, said fruit production in greenhouses and highlands has been devastated.

“Türkiye won’t be able to afford cheap fruit this summer,” Akça said, adding that losses in some crops reached 100%, and staples like tomatoes could hit 50 TL per kilogram in Istanbul.

Export Sector Faces $1 Billion Risk

Türkiye is among the world’s top producers of cherries, hazelnuts, figs, and apricots. But this year’s frost threatens both domestic supply and export revenue.
Ferhat Gürüz, president of the Mediterranean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, said that stone fruits and citrus have suffered greatly, and even meeting local demand may be challenging.

He warned that Türkiye could lose up to $1 billion in export earnings this year due to the sharp production drop.

Hazelnuts Also Affected: Prices Skyrocket

Hazelnuts, one of Türkiye’s most valuable export commodities, also suffered. In Sakarya, prices jumped from 120 TL to 185 TL per kilogram within weeks.
Şemsi Bayraktar, head of the Turkish Union of Chambers of Agriculture, stated that high-altitude farms experienced nearly total crop loss, especially in key hazelnut-producing regions.

Farmer Numbers Declining as Youth Abandon Agriculture

Ongoing challenges such as rising production costs, the climate crisis, and limited social protections have made farming increasingly unsustainable.
Türkiye’s registered farmer population dropped from 1 million in 2021 to just 411,000 in 2024. Bayraktar noted that only 5% of youth remain in agriculture, calling for incentives like state-funded social security contributions to reverse the trend.

Experts Blame Policy Gaps for Amplifying Disaster Impact

Hasan Murat Kapıkıran, President of the Istanbul branch of the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers, warned that Türkiye’s failure to implement climate-resilient agricultural policies has intensified the damage. He stressed the urgency of introducing regionally adapted crop models and targeted subsidy frameworks to help farmers adapt to changing weather conditions.

“We must quickly design and implement climate-compatible farming strategies,” Kapıkıran said.

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