No fruits or vegetables under 10 liras left on the shelves

Yuksel Tavsan, President of the Turkish Federation of Green Grocers, stated that due to haphazard production and high costs, the days of finding vegetables and fruits for 5-10 TL even at the wholesale market are over, and prices below 10 TL are devastating for farmers.

According to a report by Sayime Basci from the Sozcu newspaper, Tavsan mentioned that there is a shortage in the supply of onions, which broke price records this year, and that potatoes are also entering a dangerous period. He expressed that they expect a relief in prices and an increase in harvest in the next 15 days.

In Antalya’s wholesale market, onions, which were sold at the highest price of 5 TL per kilogram in April 2022, increased to 27 TL with a 440% increase in April 2023. Tomatoes, which were sold for 12 TL, increased to 18 TL.

Tavsan stated that they do not expect significant problems in the harvest this year or in shipment from the earthquake-stricken region, but that abundance will not necessarily result in lower prices.

Tavsan said, “It is becoming increasingly difficult to produce goods for 5 TL to 10 TL, and even 10 TL is challenging. If prices drop below these levels, farmers will be in dire straits. He also mentioned that when these products are sold at the retail level, they are sold for 10 TL even if they were bought for 5 TL at the wholesale market. While there may be a decrease in prices if there is an abundance of vegetables and fruits, the farmers will suffer significant losses.”