The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on lemon production in Turkey – the case of Mersin Province

Approximately 55% of lemon production in Turkey is produced in Mersin Province. In this study, primary data obtained by survey method from 95 producers determined using a simple random sampling method in Erdemli, Tarsus, and Silifke districts, which provide 89.72% of lemon production in Mersin, constituted the primary material of the study. The data were collected in April-June 2021, and the level of influence of the producers in terms of technical and economic in the lemon production process during the Covid-19 pandemic period was examined. In the light of the findings, it was determined that the issue that affected the producers the most in the examined period occurred in the marketing stages rather than the technical dimension of production. In particular, the pre-authorization of lemon exports and the restriction decisions applied during the export process had a negative impact on lemon exports. This situation caused a decrease in domestic prices and adversely affected domestic sales, which were not at the desired level. In terms of technical stages of lemon production, irrigation, fertilization, and pest management were determined as the lowest adversely affected factors. Transportation, storage, and harvesting processes, where labor is used intensively in production, are among the factors that are adversely affected at a moderate level. During the pandemic, the measures taken to use the labor force, especially in order not to interrupt production in agriculture, prevented possible problems in lemon production.