Turkey sets 2026 harvest dates, warns producers amid record apple and hazelnut yields
The Meram Municipality placed its traditional tuluk cheese in natural caves ahead of the upcoming Cheese Harvest Festival, continuing a centuries‑old practice.
A joint commission chaired by the Eastern Black Sea Customs Office announced official hazelnut harvest dates for Trabzon province in 2026: 08 August for low‑altitude orchards, 15 August for mid‑altitude, and 24 August for high‑altitude sites.
Karaman’s Ziraat Odası reported that apple production is expected to exceed 750 000 tonnes this year, a regional record, and warned growers to sell only to verified traders to avoid fraud.
Citrus growers, represented by Y. Doğan of the Turunçgil Cutting and Export Commission, said delayed cutting and export schedules are hurting producers and causing labor shortages.
Malatya’s Trade Chamber confirmed two licensed dried‑apricot storage facilities—one of 6 000 t and another of 5 000 t—ready to serve farmers in the 2026 season.
In Giresun, producers have begun roadside sales of fresh green hazelnuts at 200 TL per kilogram and dried hazelnuts at 350 TL per kilogram, offering consumers immediate purchase before the formal harvest.
Fikret Akova, president of the Turkish Olive and Olive‑Oil Union, cautioned that an early June estimate of olive‑oil yield is premature and that official re‑collection data will be compiled in September.
Entities: Enver Dikmen (Giresun hazelnut producer) · Karaman Agricultural Chamber · Karaman Ziraat Odası (Mehmet Bayram) · Karaman province · Malatya Trade Chamber (Ramazan Özcan) · Mehmet Bayram · Meram Municipality · Trabzon Hazelnut Harvest Commission · apple growers
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Meram Municipality stored tuluk cheese in caves for the upcoming Cheese Harvest Festival. (Meram Municipality)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Turkish Olive and Olive‑Oil Union said a June estimate of olive‑oil yield is premature and that official re‑collection data will be compiled in September. (Fikret Akova, Turkish Olive and Olive‑Oil Union)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Karaman province expects apple production of more than 750,000 tonnes in 2026, a regional record. (Karaman Ziraat Odası)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Karaman officials warned apple producers to sell only to verified traders to avoid fraud. (Karaman Ziraat Odası)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Delays in citrus cutting and export dates are causing hardship for producers. (Y. Doğan, Turunçgil Cutting and Export Commission)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Trabzon province hazelnut harvest dates for 2026 are 08 August for low altitude, 15 August for mid altitude, and 24 August for high altitude. (Trabzon Hazelnut Harvest Commission)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Giresun producers are selling fresh green hazelnuts at 200 TL per kilogram and dried hazelnuts at 350 TL per kilogram at roadside stalls before the official harvest. (Giresun producers (e.g., Enver Dikmen))
- [● 2 SOURCES] Malatya has two licensed dried‑apricot storage facilities with a combined capacity of 11,000 tonnes, ready for the 2026 season. (Malatya Trade Chamber)