Cucumber and zucchini prices in Eskişehir have reached a level that satisfies the producers.

Yıldıran Kılıç, President of the Eskişehir Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Producers Union, stated that the vegetable prices, which significantly dropped during the Eid al-Adha, have returned to levels that will make producers happy.

Yıldıran Kılıç, who produces cucumbers and stuffed squash in Eskişehir, indicated that the kilogram prices fell to as low as 5 lira during Eid al-Adha. He noted that the market is slowly stabilizing, and this situation has brought joy to farmers. Kılıç mentioned that the abundance of produce will lead to cheaper prices at market stalls, while also emphasizing that they have been experiencing difficulties in pollination due to global warming recently.

“A figure like 15-20 lira is a very good number for the producer”

Speaking about cucumber and stuffed squash production, Yıldıran Kılıç said, “Our salads are good; there is no issue. The salads from Eskişehir come from greenhouse production. They do not come from my greenhouse, but our other member friends have had our salads in the Eskişehir markets since May 1. If a figure like 15-20 lira does not drop lower, it is a very good number for the producer, but during the Eid al-Adha, the long holiday caused accumulation of goods, leading to a drop to 5 lira, but it has now recovered. In our salad production, the more abundant the crop, the cheaper the price; when it is not abundant, the price is a bit higher. Citizens always want to buy cheaper; they want to buy economically. Recently, our input costs have increased. I wish the yield in production were abundant so that prices could be reasonable. We have to manage those inputs in some way. If our tonnage is high, the price will be low, and we will have done a lot of labor, but this benefits the citizens. If the yield is low, the price will be a bit higher.”

“The price of stuffed squash is around 15 lira”

President Yıldıran Kılıç also discussed the effects of global warming on products, stating:

“Due to global warming and the recent high temperatures, we are experiencing difficulties in the pollination of plants. There is a decrease in yield, which inevitably reflects on the citizens. Currently, we have traders who come to take goods to provinces like Kütahya, Bursa, and Ankara after meeting Eskişehir’s needs. We have enough squash production to meet Eskişehir’s needs, but not enough to export. The price of stuffed squash is around 15 lira. Compared to other major metropolitan areas, prices are almost half.”