Niğde Begins 2026 Apple Harvest With 600,000-Tonne Production Forecast
Turkey’s Niğde province expects to produce about 600,000 tonnes of apples in 2026 as harvesting runs from August through late November. Local growers already serve 12 overseas destinations but are seeking stronger promotion and state support to expand exports.
Harvest starts with early Gala apples
Apple harvesting has begun in Niğde, one of Turkey’s principal production centres, with growers forecasting output of about 600,000 tonnes in 2026. The season opened in August with Gala, an early-ripening variety, and harvesting is expected to continue until the end of November.
The forecast underlines Niğde’s growing importance to Turkey’s apple industry. Atilla Kaplan, president of the Niğde Apple Producers’ Association, told Son Dakika that the province ranks first in Turkey by number of apple trees and second in production behind Isparta. He expects Niğde eventually to take the national production lead once recently planted orchards reach commercial yields.
Growers seek wider access to export markets
Niğde apples are currently shipped to 12 overseas destinations, according to Kaplan. He listed Kuwait, Libya, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Turkmenistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and India. Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates, although it was identified separately in the list reported by Son Dakika.
Kaplan said apples were selling for as much as 30 Turkish lira per kilogram at the orchard and met the quality and product specifications demanded by foreign buyers. Producers are calling for stronger promotion and additional government support, arguing that wider export sales would benefit both growers and the Turkish economy. The breadth of the current destination list gives Niğde exposure to markets across the Gulf, North Africa, Eurasia, South Asia and Southeast Asia, but the source did not provide shipment volumes or export revenue.
Weather creates uneven outlook for red varieties
The headline production forecast does not mean conditions are uniform across every orchard or variety. Kaplan said high temperatures last year, insufficient rainfall during the autumn and wind had affected the 2026 outlook for red apples in some orchards. He reported serious fluctuations in expected red-apple yields across orchards in Niğde, Isparta and Karaman.
That variation may influence the mix of fruit available to processors, domestic wholesalers and exporters during the season. A crop of about 600,000 tonnes would still require substantial harvesting, sorting, storage and marketing capacity. For exporters, the commercial result will depend not only on total output but also on how much fruit meets the size, appearance and quality requirements of individual markets. Niğde’s expanding orchard base could support higher production in future years, while the immediate priority for growers is to convert the 2026 harvest into sustainable sales before harvesting ends in late November.
