Farmers within the western province of Manisa’s Akhisar, one in every of Türkiye’s largest olive rising areas, are going through an 87% loss in harvest in comparison with the earlier 12 months because of the local weather disaster and excessive climate circumstances, signifying an “olive disaster.”
Akhisar, which provides 70% of the nation’s desk olive wants, is experiencing a major yield loss in olive manufacturing because of local weather change-related components akin to temperatures dropping to minus 6 levels Celsius (21.2 levels Fahrenheit) in April and extreme rainfall noticed within the spring.
Olive farmers at the moment are going through an alarming state of affairs “where the branches are left with leaves instead of olives,” as they’re involved about their credit score money owed and discipline upkeep bills.
The affect of this “olive disaster” will not be restricted to Manisa alone but in addition extends to neighboring provinces of Izmir and Balıkesir, instructed a gaggle of farmers.
Ahmet Akbuğa, the pinnacle of the Akhisar Agriculture Chamber, warned that olive oil costs could attain TL 250 ($9.29) per liter this 12 months, including that the area is witnessing such a dire state of affairs for the primary time, and even the olive shares in storage will not be enough to cowl the demand.
Pointing out that the standard three-monthlong harvest season will in all probability finish in only one week this 12 months, Akbuğa famous that final 12 months’s harvest of 400,000 tons within the area is predicted to be at most 50,000 tons, a major drop.
Mehmet Hulusi Arabacı, one of many farmers with a whole bunch of olive bushes within the area, defined that no fruits fashioned on the bushes after heavy rains in spring and sudden temperature will increase.
Arabacı added that he couldn’t discover even a single olive on a tree from which he collected 60 kilograms (132.28 kilos) of olives final 12 months.
Noting that there are fertile and unproductive durations in agriculture, and that is fairly regular for the sector, Arabacı mentioned that nonetheless, that is the primary time they’ve encountered the issue on this scale.
Sırrı Başlamış, one other farmer with 9 acres of olive groves, expressed concern over his 500-kilogram yield this 12 months in comparison with 15 tons final 12 months.
Despite the yield loss, some farmers nonetheless irrigate their olive bushes from underground wells, however even the water assets are almost depleted. The drilling depths have gone beneath 200 meters (656.17 ft), resulting in elevated electrical energy payments. Many farmers fear about how they’ll afford the irrigation-related electrical energy bills.
According to the information from the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, over 23 million tons of olives have been produced worldwide in 2021. Türkiye ranked third in olive manufacturing with an annual output of 1.7 million tons, following Spain and Italy. In 2022, olive manufacturing elevated considerably by roughly 71% to achieve 2.9 tons yearly, making Türkiye the chief within the world olive market.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
