Potato Harvest Begins in Aksaray, Turkey

Potato harvest has begun in Aksaray, one of Turkey's top 10 provinces for potato production, where 80 percent of the population earns a living from agriculture and animal husbandry. Aksaray ranks first in many areas of animal husbandry in the country.

As producers work diligently in the fields to collect their potatoes, these are sold to merchants for TRY 2 (USD 0.07). By the time they reach market traders, the price rises to TRY 8 (USD 0.28), and consumers can purchase them for TRY 10 to 15 (USD 0.35 to 0.53).

Highlighting the low yield in potato production this year, producer Aşire Bacık (60) stated that while potatoes are sold for TRY 2 (USD 0.07) in the field, they are priced at TRY 10 (USD 0.35) in the market. Bacık emphasized that producers are not making a profit.

Aşire Bacık:

"We are doing the first potato harvest of 2024. The yield is quite low. We sell them for TRY 2 (USD 0.07), and the market sells them for TRY 10 (USD 0.35). We are not making any money. Even when we sell them for TRY 2 (USD 0.07), we cannot make a profit. In the market, prices vary between TRY 12 and 15 (USD 0.42 to 0.53) depending on the location. They are making money, but the farmer is at a loss."