Summer harvest of tomatoes has begun: The price increases 7 times from the field to the market

Tomato harvest is expected to last until the end of July in the Kumluca region. Tomatoes produced in the region are exported to Balkan countries, especially Russia and Ukraine, and Azerbaijan. With the increase in production in the summer months, it is expected that the amount of products supplied to the market will also increase.

‘WE ARE SATISFIED WITH THE TONNAGE AND THE PRODUCTION’

Pointing out that production increases with the summer season, producer Abdül Okul said, “We started harvesting the tomatoes that we planted on March 15, with the summer season. As of now, our tomatoes are selling for 20 to 25 lira per kilogram in Kumluca Market. Our harvest will continue until the end of July if no negativities occur. We are currently satisfied with the tonnage and production. The weather conditions are also going well. We had very difficult times during the winter months. We were exposed to many natural disasters, but our production continues in a healthy way at the moment.” he said.

‘WE EXPECT PRICES TO FALL GRADUALLY’

Stating that the tomato export network is wide, Okul said, “The tomatoes we produce are exported to Ukraine, Russia and EU countries, as well as the Balkan countries and Azerbaijan. The price per kilogram of tomatoes from the producers is fixed, but we see that the prices in the markets go up to 150 lira.”

However, serious costs occur until the product reaches the market shelf. Diesel prices, labor costs, logistics costs and wastage of the product on the road or in the market cause prices to rise. Still, there is a huge difference between the producer price and the market price. We expect prices to decrease gradually in the coming period as production and tonnage increase in the summer months. “As production increases, the amount of products in the market will also increase and, accordingly, prices will reach more reasonable levels.” he said.