In Antalya, a city renowned for its tourism and greenhouse farming, the cucumber harvest has begun, particularly in the Aksu region. The process of planting cucumber seedlings took place in the first week of August, leading to the production of the season's first yield. During the summer, farmers undertake the planting in greenhouses, facing temperatures up to 50 degrees Celsius, and proceed with the harvest under conditions that can reach 40 degrees. To mitigate the impact of the heat on the produce, harvested cucumbers are carefully placed between papers in crates.
Turan Şahin, the President of the Aksu Producers Association, highlighted the advancements in Turkish agriculture, positioning it as competitive on a global scale. He noted the challenging conditions under which this year's cucumber planting occurred, with air temperatures in Antalya being particularly high. "We started our first harvest in Aksu under very difficult conditions. The temperature inside the greenhouses is currently 40 degrees. After planting, we brought our saplings together with the soil at 50 degrees. Our products will meet our consumers as of today. They can consume them healthily. There is no pesticide residue," Şahin remarked. He further mentioned that to maintain the freshness, cucumbers are kept in paper, attributing the lighter color of the early harvest to the elevated temperatures but assured that the color would normalize in subsequent weeks.
Source: Railly News