Farmer Overcomes Floods and Multiple Plantings to Sell Peppers at High Price

In the Amik Plain, where scorching temperatures have reached 40 degrees Celsius, farmers are harvesting capia peppers, a crop that has commanded a price of 25 Turkish Lira per kilogram. This year's harvest follows a difficult period for farmers, including a severe flood during the winter that damaged fields and delayed crop maturation.

“

We are picking peppers, we cannot touch our faces because of the sting. The pepper is hot, at the same time there is sweetness. It's very difficult in the heat, and the daily wages are 1,100 TL.

Farmer Ahmet Şiker, working in Antakya's Madenboyu neighborhood, explained that his team of 15 workers is currently harvesting the peppers. He noted that while the initial flood caused setbacks, spring rains ultimately led to a bountiful harvest. Şiker mentioned that they had to plant three times before the peppers took hold, a process that normally would have concluded earlier in the season.

Workers like Azize Abay described the demanding conditions, stating, "We are picking peppers, we cannot touch our faces because of the sting. The pepper is hot, but there is also sweetness. It's very difficult in the heat, and the daily wages are 1,100 TL."

“

We are engaged in farming, we grew peppers this year and we are trying to earn our living this way. The weather is very hot, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees, there is nothing we can do. The harvest is abundant this year; the flood that occurred with the rain tired us a bit, but we managed. We planted twice, but only managed to get our peppers to grow on the third planting. Normally it should be finished, but this is only our second harvest. The kilogram price for canning is currently 25 TL.

Despite the challenging conditions, both farmers and workers are finding satisfaction. Şiker expressed contentment with the yield and the price, stating, "The harvest is abundant this year; the flood that occurred with the rain tired us a bit, but we managed. This is our second harvest, and the kilogram price for canning is currently 25 TL." The high demand and price reflect the quality and effort involved in bringing this crop to market.

“

We have 15 employees, the daily wage for women is 1,100 TL and for men it is 2,000 TL.