Many of Manisa's famous cherry trees remain barren and fruitless in Türkiye's Aegean region due to inadequate precipitation and drought. The cherry trees, a sensitive floral species, are also being hit hard by global warming.
The first cherry harvest of the Northern Hemisphere is held in the Sancaklıbozköy district of Manisa, where the days are being counted down until the harvest that usually begins in the second week of April.
Producers from Sancaklıbozköy are making their final preparations for the harvest that will take place in about a month. Every year, farmers send the best cherries to tables around the world by taking care of both their trees and the soil. But this year, although the trees are decorated with white flowers, they are struggling to produce fruit due to the lack of winter precipitation. Depending mainly on their harvests, the situation has led to hard times for the farmers in the region. With some harvests completely ruined due to the drought, locals have turned to alternative products such as olives, apricots and figs to turn a profit.
Retired teacher Metin Koyuncu, who dedicated himself to agriculture to boost fruit production in the region, graduated from the faculty of agriculture and is both a farmer and supports the orchards of fellow growers. "We harvest our first cherries between April 12-15. The name of this variety is 'cristobalina' and is more profitable being an early and first production. This will generate more income for Türkiye," he said.
Emphasizing that young people should be trained and directed in agriculture to improve production, Koyuncu said: "A very good agricultural policy must be implemented for our young generation, to train our future generation on these issues. As a former educator, I see that people between the ages of 50 and 70 normally work in agriculture production and in the fields, while our youth do not tend to agriculture at all, which is a loss for our country. Our youth who have graduated from high schools wander around because they are not aware of agricultural practices and the potential of this industry. Everyone is looking for a job at a factory and work there for minimum wages even though they own land. A proper framework is really needed to spread awareness about agriculture without hassle. They need to know that the authorities provide them with opportunities to cultivate their own lands consciously."
Cherry trader İbrahim Bodur said that they export to Europe and Far East countries, especially Russia.
