Farmers in Iğdır fight against frost with straw

Following the warning issued by the 16th Regional Directorate of Meteorology regarding the risk of agricultural frost, producers in Iğdır, known as the "Çukurova of the East," have taken action. With the snowfall and sudden drop in temperatures, especially over the weekend, orchard owners are spending the night in their gardens, making intense efforts to protect their crops from the effects of frost.

During the night hours, particularly between 02:00 and 05:00, as temperatures drop below zero, farmers have implemented the traditional straw-burning method used for years. Straw bales placed in apricot orchards are burned in a controlled manner, and the resulting smoke surrounds the trees, thereby providing a slight increase in the temperature within the orchard. This method aims to prevent frost from damaging the blossoms and the as-yet-unripe fruit.

Producer Töbet Turan emphasized the importance of their efforts, saying, "We come to our orchards around 02:00. We are trying to save our fruit from frost using the smoke system, just as our grandfathers and fathers did. We have started burning the straw; hopefully, we will protect our products."

Arslan Turan, another producer from the village of Kasımcan, stated that this method has been used for years, adding, "We try to reduce the effect of frost by smoking between 02:00 and 05:00 in the morning. This method is a legacy left to us by our elders. We hope we will see the benefits of it as well."

Apricot production in the region is of great importance both economically and in terms of employment. Producers continue to rely on traditional methods against the increasing risk of frost due to climate change. Despite the development of modern agricultural techniques, the straw-smoking method has once again become the savior of the orchards.