Gardens are being established in the fig capital

The export season has begun in Aydın , the world's dried fig capital, but the orchards are filled with anxiety, not joy. Turkey's overall dried fig yield has fallen 20 percent this year. While Aydın, which alone accounts for 79 percent of the country's exports, appears to be maintaining its share of over 52,000 tons, producers have expressed their concerns, saying, "We won't see these figures next year."

According to data from the Aydın Commodity Exchange, Turkey exported 53,621 tons of dried figs in the 2024-2025 season. 42,193 tons of this departed from Aydın. TÜİK (Turkish Statistical Institute) reported Aydın's share of the country's fig production as 57.3 percent. However, the situation on the ground is different. Production areas are shrinking, trees are drying up, and costs are pushing producers into debt.

Declining fig quality is also a concern for exporters. Harvest and export dates for fresh figs, a variety of sarılop (yellow fig), which are crucial for the European market, have been announced. According to the decision, sarılop figs will be harvested on July 17th and will be available for export on July 18th. For black figs, the harvest date is July 21st and the export date is July 22nd.

Producer Halil Çetinkaya described their difficulties: “This year, everything has gone from bad to worse. Fig flies have attacked the fruit, and red spider mites have increased due to dust from mining sites. The figs are drying up. The wind has been good for two years, but this year the quality is low. The yield loss is significant. The trees look set to wither. The inputs are so expensive; pesticides and fertilizers aren't enough. Geothermal power plants (GPPs) have dried out the soil. No one hears our voices.”

Another producer, Halis Güngör, drew attention to the climate crisis: “Climate change is being felt deeply. Summers are extremely hot, winters are dry. The land is dry. Electricity, fuel, and labor costs are already breaking our backs. Figs are left hanging on the branches because we can't find workers to pick them. Because of the geothermal power plant, our village is struggling to breathe. Figs were Aydın's lifeblood; now young people are migrating to the city. Our land is slipping from our hands.”

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AGRICULTURE SHOULD NOT BE SACRIFICED TO INDUSTRY

One of the reasons for producers' anger is geothermal power plants (GPPs) and mining sites. The damage caused by these projects, which dry out the soil and deplete water resources, leads to a loss of yield in fig orchards. Farmers frequently call on authorities, saying, "We must be an agricultural country, not an industrial one."