In the district of Arsuz in Hatay, lemons unaffected by the agricultural frost due to the precautions taken by farmers are finding buyers at a price of 15 TL per kilogram in the orchard. The recent cold weather in the Mediterranean had caused damage to agricultural areas. The lemon crops in the region had suffered damage. However, the precautions taken by farmers in Arsuz, one of the major lemon production centers, have somewhat prevented the crops from being affected by the frost. The lemons being harvested are being sold for 15 TL per kilogram in the field, while the workers in the orchard are earning a daily wage of a thousand TL.

33-year-old farmer Kadir Türkmen, who emphasized the impact of the cold weather and the damage it caused to many crops, stated, “Our land is 40 hectares, we start harvesting at 07:00 in the morning and finish around 12:00-13:00 in the afternoon. We harvest around 15-16 tons of lemons from 40 hectares of land. Lemons are sold for 25 TL in the markets and 15 TL in the fields. Currently, we are facing difficulties in cutting these lemons with scissors, they are too frozen and our hands are getting damaged along with the lemons. Farmers in Adana, Arsuz, and Erzin are in a dire situation due to the frost. However, in Hatay Arsuz, the lemons are doing well as there has not been much frost and farmers have taken precautions, so the condition of the lemons here is very good. Manufacturers are coming to Hatay to buy lemons. We are earning a thousand TL as a daily wage.”