Farmers are happy with the yield, but… “40-45 percent of vegetables and fruits are wasted before they reach the hands of citizens”

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Lerato Khumalo

The tomato harvest has begun in Eskişehir. The ripened tomatoes are plucked from the branches and offered to the market. Eskişehir Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Producers Association President Yıldıran Kılıç stated that the tomato harvest was satisfactory and that they were happy about it. Stating that 40 percent of the vegetables are wasted for various reasons before they reach the table of the citizens, Kılıç stated that if this waste is reduced, prices will fall even further. President Yıldıran Kılıç mentioned that despite the waste, the people of Eskişehir consume vegetables cheaper than other provinces.

“ALMOST HALF OF IT GOES TO WASTE”

About production and waste, Eskişehir Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Producers Association President Yıldıran Kılıç said, “We have been releasing tomatoes from the products we produce in the greenhouse to the market for about 10-15 days. If there is no problem in the following days, in the first week of August or so, we will release tomatoes in the open field. Production is going very well, we do not have any problems, the only problem is unfortunately the rain and natural disasters due to global warming, we have problems with that, other than that, we do not have any problems, according to our own experience, 40 percent or 45 percent of the products produced are wasted before they reach the table of the people. When producing in the field, the unconsciousness of the workers and people, chain markets have been using vegetables and fruits as jokers lately, when you add all the waste in chain markets, approximately 40-45 percent of the vegetables and fruits produced are wasted before they reach the people, and of course this goes from the producer’s pocket.”

HOW ARE THE PRICES?

Providing information about vegetable prices, President Kılıç continued as follows;

“Cucumbers are sold for 20 lira, stuffed zucchini for 15 lira, regular tomatoes for 15 lira, and pink tomatoes for 25 lira. When we compare it to other cities, Eskişehir is very lucky in that respect, we will be able to eat vegetables and fruits affordably right now. There are many plantings of ground tomatoes and peppers in the coming days, and we expect the prices to drop a little more when they come out.”