THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Once hailed as one of Türkiye’s fastest-growing crops, avocado production is now facing serious challenges as climate conditions and water shortages threaten future harvests.
This year’s severe frosts in February, March and April devastated fruit production across the country. Avocados, which had been riding a wave of popularity thanks to healthy eating trends, were not spared.
Avocado production in Türkiye has surged nearly tenfold in the past five years, rising from 5,923 tonnes in 2020 to 64,500 tonnes in 2024.
Antalya led the way with 35,694 tonnes of production last year, while Alanya expanded its avocado-growing area from 62 decares 13 years ago to 4,080 decares in 2024, boosting output from just over 1,200 tonnes to 17,000 tonnes in five years.
But this year, the picture is far less optimistic. Alanya Chamber of Agriculture President Tahir Göktepe stated that the damage from hail and frost generated a 50 percent loss in yield.
“Last year, we had the capacity to produce 100 million avocados. This year we expected 150 million, but due to climate conditions we now anticipate only 60 to 70 million,” he explained.
Mersin has also emerged as a key avocado-growing region in recent years, but local producers are struggling with water shortages.
Rasim Şahin, president of the Erdemli Chamber of Agriculture, noted that while farmers have shown strong interest in avocados over the past two to three years, drought conditions have brought production to a standstill.
“Climate change and drought are dominant. We are discussing what alternatives we can pursue. Avocados require a lot of water, so at this stage we are not recommending new plantations,” he said.
