Cherry producers in Bilecik are in distress: They buy from us for 45 TL and sell for 200 TL in markets

Cherry harvest has begun in Bilecik. Producers are reacting to their products being bought cheaply from their fields and sold at exorbitant prices in city centers.

Villagers from the famous Küre Village stated that the price of cherries, which is between 35-45 liras on-site, rises to 70 liras in the Söğüt and Bilecik markets, and up to 120 liras in Istanbul.

Stating that they started the harvest about 1 week ago, cherry producer Nurcan Aşık said, "We call this the 'Kara bodur' variety. After this, the Napoleon cherry will be available in this region. Prices are cheap this year, ranging between 30 and 45 liras per kilo depending on the cherry. We give it to wholesalers at the market. It goes to provinces like Istanbul and Ankara."

"THIS CHERRY IS 200 TL IN ISTANBUL"

Another cherry producer, Fatih Turan, stated that he found buyers for the cherries he collected at the Küre Market for 45 liras. Turan said, "They buy this cherry here for 45 liras, and this cherry is 200 TL in Istanbul. We have a complaint about this. Why do intermediaries earn more than us? We put in the effort for 1 year, we grow the best of it. This is an injustice, we need to prevent this," he expressed.

"IT IS THE MARKET VENDORS, NOT THE PRODUCERS, WHO ARE PROFITING"

Addressing the price difference between the buyer and the seller, Ramazan Palacıoğlu, a cherry buyer at the Küre Village Market, stated, "The price of this is 35 liras. We evaluate it according to its softness and firmness. It goes to Kadıköy, Istanbul, and Bayrampaşa. The market vendor profits from this. We send it from here on commission; for example, we sold this for 35, the vendor there sells it for 50 liras, and whatever else they add on top. The market vendors are the ones profiting."

Village Headman Eyüp Seylan said, "In Turkey, cherries first appear in İzmir Kemalpaşa. About 1 week later, cherries appear in our village. It is the 2nd earliest cherry to appear in Turkey. The region has a micro-climate. Cherry production is carried out on an area of approximately 3 thousand decares in our region. We have a yield expectation of about 500-600 tons. The yield is a bit low this year. Since the yield is low, we cannot export. Our cherries go to the domestic market. They are mainly sold in Istanbul, Bayrampaşa, and Kadıköy markets, and local market vendors also bring them to their stalls. The price per kilo varies between 35-50 liras. We do the pricing here according to the variety and quality. The market is free," he said.

IT IS SOLD FOR 199 TL WITHOUT EVEN LEAVING THE PROVINCE

On the other hand, it drew attention that cherries were being sold for 199 liras at a chain market in Bilecik.