Turkey dry onion prices jump to 80 lira as harvests shrink

Vendor Ali Küçükebeoğlu, who has sold potatoes and onions around Nazilli and Karacasu for four decades, said the price of dry onions has risen from the 10‑lira range a year ago to 60‑80 lira per band. He attributes the surge to a reduced planting area, excessive winter rain that damaged crops, higher fuel costs for transport, and the fact that imported onions are priced in foreign currency, limiting any downward pressure on domestic prices.

A report from the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce noted that dry onion prices in chain stores now reach 85‑90 lira, while market stalls charge similar amounts. Although Turkey produces enough onions for self‑sufficiency and is among the world’s top producers and exporters, policy measures such as zeroing import duties and later restricting exports have failed to stabilise the market. Climate‑related losses and shrinking sowing areas have tightened supply, leaving consumers to bear the higher cost.