Business · Energy & Commodities · 5 hrs ago
Turkey’s record apple crop leaves growers struggling to find buyers
Turkey is expecting an apple harvest of 4.43 million tonnes, up 93.6% from last year.
Growers in areas including Niğde and Karaman say they are struggling to sell apples that are mainly used to make juice.
Juice-grade apples are fetching about 4 lira per kilogram, while picking them costs about the same, so some farmers may leave the fruit on the trees.
Heavy rain has increased the share of apples affected by black spot disease, adding to the supply of lower-grade fruit.
Factories are buying less after last year’s frost hurt their exports and overseas markets, according to local agricultural representatives.
In the first eight months of this year, fresh apple exports fell 34.7% to about $84 million, while apple juice exports dropped 43% to $162.776 million.
Karaman’s cold-storage capacity is nearly full, and the sources say growers’ prospects depend in part on buyers returning to the market.
Turkey’s apple harvest is forecast to reach 4.427 million tonnes this year, up 93.6% from last year.
Growers are struggling to sell apples for juice because prices are below the cost of picking them and factories are buying less.
A growers’ representative said last year’s frost caused processing factories to lose export markets, limiting their purchases this year.
Heavy rainfall has also increased the share of apples affected by a disease, adding to the supply of lower-grade fruit.
Fresh apple exports fell 34.7% in the first eight months of the year, while apple juice exports dropped 43%.
- Who
- Turkish apple growers, particularly producers of apples used for juice, are struggling to find buyers.
- What
- A record-sized crop is forecast, but low prices and reduced factory purchases are leaving some apples unpicked.
- When
- This year; the article was published on October 19, 2026.
- Where
- Turkey, including the apple-growing provinces of Niğde and Karaman.
- Why
- Growers’ representatives cite last year’s frost and lost export markets, reduced factory buying, and heavy rainfall that increased disease-affected fruit.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Agricultural frost damaged apple production and, according to a growers’ representative, factories lost export markets.
Apple production is forecast to rise 93.6% to 4.427 million tonnes.
Fresh apple exports fell 34.7% year on year and apple juice exports fell 43%.
Dünya published the report on growers’ difficulty finding buyers.
- Forecast production
- 4.427 million tonnes this year
- Production increase
- 93.6% year on year
- Juice apple price
- About 4 lira per kilogram in Niğde
- Cold storage capacity
- 220,000 tonnes in Karaman, nearly full
- Fresh apple exports
- About $84 million in the first eight months
- Apple juice exports
- $162.776 million in the first eight months
What people are saying
The product does not earn money, and the factories are not buying.
An apple that enters cold storage at 20 lira leaves the depot at 42.5 lira with all input costs.