Following the frost warning in Adana, producers started to harvest their tangerines. Harvesting has gained speed throughout the city, where tangerines are being sold in gardens for prices ranging from 14 to 19 liras depending on the variety. The mandarin harvest, which began in October in Adana, one of Turkey’s most important agricultural production centers, is ongoing. At the moment, the harvest of Ortanik and W. Murcott varieties of tangerine is being carried out citywide, with harvesting accelerating due to the agricultural frost expected to last for 3 days. Workers entering orchards in 379 thousand acres of land harvest tangerines by hand, loading them onto trucks and trailers. Ortanik tangerines sent to domestic and foreign markets find buyers at prices of 14-15 liras per kilogram in the garden, while W. Murcott tangerines are sold for 17-19 liras in the orchards.

Last year, an average of 1 million tons of yield was obtained from tangerines, while currently an average of 2 tons of yield per acre is being harvested in gardens. This year, an average of 500 thousand tons of yield is expected from tangerines. Speaking to Ihlas News Agency during the harvest, Yüreğir Chamber of Agriculture President Mehmet Akın Doğan stated that tangerines are sent to Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Ukraine. He mentioned, “Frost is expected for 3 days across Adana. Since the citrus harvest season is ending, farmers and traders are quickly harvesting. Due to no labor shortage, the harvest continues swiftly. The fruit being picked is being sent to Iraq, first and foremost, as well as Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Ukraine. The cost to send this tangerine to Iraq is 10 liras. However, the exit price of W. Murcott tangerines from the garden is 14-15 liras. There is a 15-day harvest period remaining for W. Murcott.”

Pointing out that the citrus yield was low due to the hot weather in the summer months, Doğan noted, “In 2023, we had 3.2 million tons of citrus yield. Due to the high temperatures in June 2024, our citrus yield was low. The fruits all dropped. Farmers couldn’t make money from early products, while they made some money from the late products.” Farmer Hayrettin Çelik described how the harvest accelerated following the frost warning, saying, “We are facing a risk of frost. Harvesting has accelerated due to frost. 80% of the citrus in the plain has been harvested. 20% is left. Farmers are harvesting that remaining portion due to the risk of frost. A cold spell is awaiting us. Prices have dropped due to rapid harvesting. Our citizens should take advantage of this opportunity.”