9 February 2010 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
Cold weather across the country has led to an increase in the price of fruits and vegetables by around 30 to 50 percent in the southeastern province of Mersin, a leading produce center.
Mersin Wholesale Market Chairman Attilla Gümüşoğlu, speaking to the Anatolia news agency on Monday, stated that prices increased not only due to low temperatures but also because of heightened demand from overseas since other countries have been similarly negatively affected by cold weather. Officials in the fruit and vegetable wholesale sector said produce could not be grown in sufficient quantities in greenhouses to meet overall demand. Fruit and vegetable prices have climbed by between 30 and 50 percent in the local Mersin market. Gümüşoğlu, however, stated that he hopes prices in Mersin will return to their normal levels with rising temperatures. The highest increase in vegetables was seen in eggplant, peppers, beans and zucchini.
