Hatay and Gaziantep pepper harvests begin amid intense heat

In the Amik Ovası region of Hatay, the kapya pepper harvest is underway, with workers preparing the produce for paste production. Under intense heat, women workers in the Madenboyu neighborhood of Antakya are slicing the peppers and spreading them on rooftops to dry using traditional methods. The peppers, which are selling for 300 TL per kilogram, are being prepared for sale in cities such as Gaziantep, Adana, Antalya, Ankara, and Diyarbakır.

In Gaziantep’s İslahiye district, the red pepper season has also begun. Farmers report high yields, with approximately 20,000 to 25,000 decares of land dedicated to production. The harvested peppers are dried in sheds before being sent to Kahramanmaraş to be processed into powder, flakes, or paste. While workers face challenging conditions due to high temperatures, the current harvest and market prices have provided a sense of satisfaction for many producers and laborers.