Harvesting has begun for black figs, which are grown in some regions of Bursa and are considered the highest-quality figs in the world. Due to weather conditions, the harvest started 20 days earlier than last year, and since there has been no fruit drop this year, the yield has increased by 15%.
Black figs from Bursa are recognized globally for their shelf life, appearance and harvest. This year, with the weather and rainfall, the quality and yield of black figs have improved. The figs are diligently collected from the fields and are starting to appear on the market.
Emre Ertaş, president of the Çağlayan Village Agricultural Development Cooperative, noted that the harvest of black figs started 20 days early this year and that the yield has increased by 10-15% compared to last year, saying: “The harvest has been ongoing for 20 days here, but there is uncertainty in the market. We collect from the fields and hand them over to exporters. Farmers leave their figs here and return to their fields."
He added: "The quality of this year's product is better than last year’s; there were issues with fruit drop last year, but fortunately, we don’t have that problem this year. No other fruit in the world is as rare and exquisite as this.”
Regarding the export markets for black figs, Ertaş mentioned: “Figs from Bursa generally go to European countries, and we primarily work with Russia. Although this fruit is only grown in the Bursa region of Türkiye, there is no other unique fruit. Domestically, we mostly export to Istanbul. For every five trucks going to Istanbul, two trucks go to other regions in Türkiye, while in Europe, the figs go to Germany.”
Farmer Sefa Balaban shared: “Our family has been farming in Çağlayan Neighborhood, Osmangazi district of Bursa, for over 10 generations. We started the 2024 fig harvest 1-10 days early. This year’s yield is slightly higher than last year’s."
He continued: "Last season, we had fruit drop due to weather conditions, but this year is in better shape. Due to climate conditions, our harvest starts a bit earlier each year. Figs prefer warmth in the evening and morning and with the rains this year, we harvested earlier and the quality has improved."
"Figs are 100% naturally grown and do not accept pesticides. While other fruits use pesticides to prevent pests, figs do not,” he said.
