Pitaya Harvest Begins in Mersin

Harvest has begun in dragon fruit gardens in the Silifke district of Mersin, a tropical fruit also known as dragon fruit. Due to the Mediterranean climate, dragon fruit also draws attention in Mersin, where many tropical products are produced. Dragon fruit, cultivated on 150 decares of land throughout Silifke, is sold both in the domestic market and for export. Fruits that started being grown under cover 7 years ago in the city are finding buyers at 200 TL per kilogram. When export opens, fruits are exported primarily to Russia and Germany, as well as to countries like the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Iraq, and Dubai, and are collected by agricultural workers in the early morning hours and stacked in crates. Depending on the garden's maintenance and climate conditions, up to 3 tons of dragon fruit can be harvested per decare. Taner Yılmaz, who established dragon fruit production under cover after retiring from teaching, stated, "We are in our 4th year and our product is very abundant. ...