In southeastern Türkiye's Gaziantep, one of the country's hottest provinces, local women contribute to their families' income by harvesting pistachios despite the 40 degree Celsius (104 degree Fahrenheit) heat.
While the scorching hot weather in Gaziantep negatively affects daily life, it brings joy to the pistachio growers, who rely heavily on this important crop for their livelihood. Pistachio growers note that the heat is necessary for the pistachios to mature and develop better flavor, and they are celebrating the high yield this year.
The harvest season is a time of joy for both farmers and agricultural workers. Workers who toil in open fields amid hot summer temperatures spend their days collecting pistachios to support themselves, earning TL 1,000 (around $30) a day.
As the harvest of the first batch of pistachios, known as baklava pistachios, begins, agricultural workers arrive at the pistachio fields at sunrise and work under the 40-degree heat until sunset.
Using ladders to pick pistachios from the trees and load them onto tractors, the women take short breaks in the shade of trees to rest from the intense heat.
Döne Takıl, a 65-year-old worker, describes the difficulty of working in the peak of summer: "We arrive at the field at 6:30 in the morning and work until 5 in the evening. The hot weather is very oppressive."
"Sometimes the temperature reaches 42 degrees Celsius. The heat is intense, but we have to work. This is how we earn our bread. I work in the heat to support my family. We come to collect pistachios every day," she added.
Shamsiye Taşan, another worker, explains that although collecting pistachios in the hot weather is difficult, it is also enjoyable: "Collecting pistachios in this hot weather is challenging but enjoyable. Despite the heat, I come to pick pistachios with my friends. All the workers in this field are women."
"We contribute to our family's income in this way; the tough living conditions mean that just one person working at home is no longer enough. We help our spouses and children. The temperature reaches 42 degrees Celsius, but we keep working despite the heat," she said.
Ayşe Şahin added that despite the hot weather, she feels happy to contribute to her family's budget: "We come from Nizip to collect pistachios, we arrive at the pistachio field around 6:30 in the morning and work until 5 in the evening. All the workers in this field are women, we work to support our family's budget, providing extra income for our families."
"We come on specific days during harvest, which lasts about a month. This year, the pistachios look great, collecting baklava pistachios is particularly challenging due to the heat, when I collect pistachios, it is slightly cooler, and the days are a bit shorter," she added.
"The harvest of baklava pistachios coincides with the hottest part of the year. Since our team is all women, we don't really notice how time passes. The weather is hot, but we have a great time," she explained.
