Turkey agricultural producers protest rising costs and market price gaps

Agricultural producers and market data in Turkey highlight significant price disparities between farm-gate costs and retail market prices. In Eskişehir, updated wholesale market lists show a wide range of prices for essential vegetables. While some items like cucumbers and tomatoes have low minimum prices, others command much higher averages, such as mushrooms at 133.57 lira per kilogram.

In Mersin’s Erdemli district, farmers are protesting the gap between what they earn and what consumers pay. Producers report selling items like peppers for 38 lira at the field, only to see them priced at 138 lira in supermarkets. Similarly, tomato producers noted that while they receive 21 lira per kilogram, retail prices reach 90 lira. Farmers emphasized that rising input costs—including electricity, water, fertilizer, pesticides, and labor wages—are making production increasingly difficult despite the high retail prices.