Maraş pepper harvest begins in Kahramanmaraş

The harvest season for the geographically indicated Maraş pepper has begun in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. Produced across approximately 12,000 to 13,000 decares of land by over 500 farmers, the crop is expected to yield between 22,000 and 30,000 tons this year.

Kahramanmaraş holds a leading position in Turkey for red pepper production. Once harvested, the peppers are dried under the sun and processed by 65 local firms into various products, including flakes, powder, and isot. These products are distributed to domestic markets and exported to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, including countries such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Azerbaijan.

Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Fırat Görgel announced that agricultural support in the region has exceeded 150 million TL this year. This includes providing 660,000 pepper seedlings to producers through a 100% grant program. Current field prices for the pepper are reported to range between 150 and 200 TL per kilogram.