Bountiful harvest in earthquake zone: Bananas are finding buyers at 32 TL per kilogram from greenhouses

HATAY (İHA) – Harvest has begun in the greenhouse-grown bananas in the fertile lands of the Arsuz district of Hatay, where the wounds of the earthquake are being healed. The bananas grown in farmer Sercan Satmaz’s 100-acre greenhouse are being sold for 32 TL per kilogram.
After the devastating earthquake in Hatay, farmers continue to sustain their homeland by producing. The Arsuz district, one of Turkey’s most fertile lands, is where Sercan Satmaz, a farmer in the Üçgüllük neighborhood, has started harvesting bananas in his 100-acre greenhouse. The local bananas, which compete with imported ones, are being sent to many points within the country. The local bananas are sold for 32 TL per kilogram from the greenhouse.
37-year-old farmer Sercan Satmaz, who started harvesting bananas in the fertile lands of Hatay, said, ‘We have a 100-acre greenhouse. Our products are no less than Anamur bananas; we just lack some experience here. In terms of soil, we are superior to them. Normally, banana planting is done every month, and whichever month you plant, you will harvest in that same month the following year. If you plant in March, you will harvest in March. The yield of a tree planted in September averages around 40 kilograms, while the yield of a tree planted in March is around 20 kilograms. However, the price of the product grown in March is higher. The field workers receive daily minimum wage salaries. We follow the state’s minimum wage for payment. Our product is for the domestic market; when we cut it here, we take it to the warehouse. There is a process in the warehouse; we cut, put them in pools, wash, pack, and store them. The shelf life in the warehouse is approximately 3-4 days, then we use ethylene gas to ripen them and send them to the market. We are affiliated with Anamur, and our prices range from 30 TL to 32 TL per kilogram.’