Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Vahit Kirişci, connected to the first cherry harvest event of the season in Kemalpaşa district of İzmir via video conference and wished the farmers a fruitful harvest.
Minister Kirişci, who was in the earthquake zone of Kahramanmaraş due to his programs, attended the event in the cherry orchard with a video conference.
Kirişci stated that the producers will always continue to be with them and said, “Kemalpaşa is not just a place, and cherry is not just any product. The fact that our country produces 25 percent of the world's production, that our Izmir is the capital city, that Izmir produces 13 percent and that Kemalpasa produces 63 percent of this production provides us with the first harvest of the cherry we produce in the northern hemisphere. It is very important to have.” said.
Stressing that Turkey has a very rich ecology, geography and climate, Kirişci wished cherry producers a fruitful harvest.
Emphasizing that he wholeheartedly believes that the cherry producers will get their rights, Minister Kirişci said:
“Growing an early crop brings benefits to our producers. In this context, I hope it will be a beautiful cherry season and our products will return to export as soon as possible. We export 70 percent of the cherry produced in Kemalpaşa. My producer brothers are doing an admirable activity by producing and providing employment, offering the product they produce to the domestic market and exporting a significant part of it. I kiss each of their foreheads. Good bye.”
Kirişci added that the total amount of support in 2023 reached 57,6 billion liras, of which 56 billion, 32,4 percent of which was delivered to producers in the first quarter of the year.