Aegean Region Citrus Harvest Reaches 449 Thousand Tons

The Aegean Region citrus harvest fell 34 percent to 449,000 tonnes from 682,000 tonnes, affected by frost and cold weather in 36 provinces during April 2025, a year described as a 'Black Year' for Turkish agriculture.

The climate crisis showed its clear impact on citrus production in the Aegean Region. Turkey, which saw temperatures of minus 17 degrees in April and 45-50 degrees in July, is experiencing the climate crisis severely in the agricultural sector.

According to the "Aegean Region Citrus Harvest Forecast Report" prepared by the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association in cooperation with experts from the Agriculture and Forestry Provincial Directorates of İzmir, Muğla and Aydın, citrus harvests in 2025 are expected to be 155,405 tonnes in Muğla, 147,805 tonnes in Aydın, 133,779 tonnes in İzmir and 12,496 tonnes in Balıkesir.
 
Mandarin becomes the new top citrus product
Among citrus products, which serve as a natural source of vitamin C in autumn and winter months, mandarin is expected to be the most produced citrus in the Aegean Region with 220,428 tonnes. The Aegean Region's mandarin harvest was 268,000 tonnes in 2024. A 16 percent loss in mandarin harvest is forecast.
 
Orange harvest down 34 percent, lemon harvest down 50 percent
Orange, which held the top position in the Aegean Region in 2024 with a harvest of 286,000 tonnes, fell to 161,105 tonnes in 2025 with a 34 percent decline.
 
The drop in lemon harvest was more severe. The Aegean Region produced 128,700 tonnes of lemon in 2024, but is expected to harvest 64,700 tonnes of lemon in 2025. The Aegean Region's lemon harvest suffered a 50 percent loss.
 
Grapefruit production in the Aegean Region, which was 6,831 tonnes in 2024, is expected to fall to 4,136 tonnes in 2025 with a sharp 66 percent decline.
               
Uçak: "The quality of the products is suitable for export, that is our only consolation"
Hayrettin Uçak, Vice Chairman Coordinator of Aegean Exporters Associations and Chairman of Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, noted that the Aegean Region citrus harvest will experience a 34 percent decline in 2025 due to frost events in March and April, emphasizing that the quality of the products being suitable for export is the only source of consolation.
 
Uçak, noting that Muğla, which is in a leading position in citrus production in the Aegean Region, will have a 57 percent harvest loss in 2025, said: "While İzmir's citrus harvest declines from 165,500 tonnes to 133,500 tonnes, Aydın's citrus harvest increased from 133,043 tonnes to 147,000 tonnes and was the only province in the Aegean Region to increase its citrus harvest. Balıkesir fell from 21,182 tonnes to 12,000 tonnes."
 
Maintaining current export levels will be a success
Chairman Uçak, noting that Turkey exported USD 1.046 billion worth of citrus products in 2024, continued: "Following the frost and cold weather in April, the Turkish Statistical Institute forecasts that Turkey's orange production will be 1 million 410,000 tonnes with a 12.4 percent decline and lemon production will be 1 million 368,000 tonnes with a 21 percent decrease. Minor increases are expected in mandarin and grapefruit production. Under these conditions, maintaining the export figures from 2024 will be a success for us."