Citrus growers brace for heavy losses after frost, drought, heat wave
ISTANBUL
Citrus producers in Türkiye face one of their toughest seasons in recent years, with a combination of spring frosts, prolonged drought and a summer heat wave causing severe damage to orchards.
Industry reports predict production drops of 30–50 percent in oranges and mandarins, depending on the region, while lemon yields could also face a significant downfall.
Prices, already high ahead of harvest, are expected to stay elevated through winter.
Spring frosts had already hit summer fruits such as cherries, sour cherries, apricots and peaches, driving up prices and leaving many low-income consumers unable to afford anything beyond watermelon — a trend now expected to continue with winter fruits as well.
In the southern province of Adana’s Çukurova region, a key citrus hub, low rainfall left reservoirs at critically low levels.
At the same time, high temperatures scorched ripening fruit, reducing both yield and quality.
“We suffered major fruit losses due to frost this year. On top of that, severe drought has prevented trees from recovering and fruit from growing properly,” said agricultural engineer Barış Kurtaran.
Farmers in Yüreğir, another district in the province, reported unprecedented damage from heat stress, with some fruit rotting on trees.
“This level of disaster has never happened before,” said local grower İbrahim Dardoğan.
According to an Aegean fruit exporters’ association’s citrus yield forecast report for 2025, lemon production in Türkiye’s major citrus-growing provinces is expected to drop by over 50 percent from last year.
Orange yields are projected to fall by around 34 percent, while mandarin losses are expected to be limited to 16 percent in the Aegean region.
Despite the odds, exporters note that fruit quality remains good enough for foreign markets.
