Olive producers in the Esençay region of Aydın's Karacasu district are going through a difficult harvest period due to increasing production costs and low sales prices.
While olives are sold for 20-35 liras per kilogram, the drop in oil prices to 10 liras leaves producers under the burden of debt.
Olive producer Bahri Şenler stated that the producer is in a difficult situation and said:
"We couldn't find the market we expected for our olives. The villagers are very miserable. Labor costs, fertilizer costs, pesticides and diesel fuel are high. That's why the villagers don't even want to pick the olives from the tree right now. If they collect them, it's only enough to pay for the laborers and workers. That's why a solution needs to be found. Otherwise, the villagers are miserable. The man can't pay his debt; he took out a loan and can't pay it, he bought a tractor and can't pay it. He doesn't even want to go and look at his field. The olives are only 15 years old." "It starts from 30-35 liras and goes up to 30-35 liras, which is the quality one. If that happens, the producer will go bankrupt, so it's very miserable."
"WHAT SHOULD THE PRODUCER DO?"
Hasan Erdoğan, who buys and sells olives in Denizli's Serinhisar district, pointed out that farmers in different regions of Turkey face the same problems and said:
"We are doing agricultural work, we buy and sell olives. Currently, no matter what crop it is in Türkiye, it is not worth any money. The watermelon seller has only one watermelon left, the same with melons. Apple trees are falling to the ground. The cost of olives to a man exceeds 30 liras, but the sale seems to be 20-25 liras. It is difficult for a person to collect these olives under these conditions. You go to the market as a buyer, the price in the market is very high. This time, the citizens do not have the purchasing power. This must be prevented, but how? geçilir? İnşallah devletimiz buna bir yol bulur. Bir şey kıt olduğu zaman afaki para ediyor, bu sefer vatandaş alamıyor; bol olduğu zaman çiğneniyor, üretici kepaze oluyor. Bu yıl tarımdaki hangi sektörde olursa olsun üreticinin hepsi zararda, yani kimsenin para kazanma şansı kalmadı. Üretici ne yapsın? Şimdi bunu toplamazsa seneye ağacına bakmaz. Adam bazı yerlerde ağaçları sökmeye başladı. Elma ağaçlarını kesmeye başladılar. Üretici ne yapsın? Hep zarar, zarar, zarar. Bir senede çok "If it wins, maybe it will wait for that year, thinking 'it will hold again in 3-5 years', but those years are not coming right now, or there is no crop on the tree, or there is plenty of it, but it doesn't make any money."
"HOW LONG WILL THE FARMER SUSTAIN?"
Olive producer Engin Girgin also said:
"How can I describe olives? The prices are very bad. The cost is high. The farmer has never struggled like this. Now it costs me 50 liras, I sell it for 30 liras. When you sift it, the oil comes to you for 10 liras, this olive comes for 15 liras. It costs 50 liras, there is a return of 15 liras; 45 liras of loss. I swear, labor costs are high. A worker works 4 or 4 liras a day. It produces 5 crates and collects at least 100 kilos. The cost is around 25-30 liras. The daily wage of the worker is 2 thousand liras. So, how long will this farmer last? Everything is gone. Is there anything that makes money? No farmer's goods are worth anything right now. "It doesn't work. So, we are finished as farmers."
Olive producer Veli Kesici from Esençay said, "The price of olives is 20 liras per kilo, 40 liras. There is nothing to explain, that's all. I don't know what will happen; those who govern Türkiye will know what will happen. They will pave the way, export it, find a market. If not, the result will be like this."
