Adana begins lemon harvest with 710,000-ton yield target

The lemon harvest has commenced in Adana, Turkey, a region responsible for approximately 40 percent of the country's citrus production. Following the schedule set by the Citrus Harvesting and Export Determination Commission, the first harvests of Mayer lemons began in the Sakızlı neighborhood of the Yüreğir district.

Producers are targeting a yield of 710,000 tons from 218,000 decares of lemon groves this year, a significant increase from the 380,000 tons produced in 2025 following agricultural frost damage. While yields are high, local prices remain low, with orchard prices ranging between 6 and 12 lira per kilogram depending on size and quality. Mehmet Akın Doğan, President of the Yüreğir Chamber of Agriculture, noted that while the harvest has started, progress is slow due to shipping traffic disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine war in the Black Sea.

Exporting is expected to begin on September 21, which producers hope will stimulate market prices. Currently, international supply is being met by shipments from South Africa and Argentina. Doğan emphasized the necessity of exports to prevent domestic oversupply and has called upon the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Trade to provide support through the Price Stabilization Fund.