Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ebubekir Gizligider announced that 36,738 producers in Manisa suffered frost damage, primarily in grape-related products, as well as cherries, peaches, apricots, quinces, pears, almonds, walnuts, plums, and olives. Following the frost incident on April 10-11, Deputy Minister Gizligider visited Manisa to assess the damage on-site. Venturing into the vineyards in Saruhanlı, Gizligider listened to the concerns of the producers. Deputy Minister Gizligider, who shared the decisions taken regarding the disaster in a press release, stated, “I would like to convey the get-well wishes of our President and Minister. We have experienced the biggest disaster in recent years. This frost incident was most intense in our province of Manisa. As of midnight on April 10, 2025, we experienced this disaster in 34 other provinces along with Manisa. Between 01:00 and 08:00 on April 10, we faced temperatures as low as minus 3 degrees in some areas. 17 of our districts were affected by this. Other provinces in Turkey experienced temperatures as low as minus 17. Saruhanlı is our district where the most intense damage was suffered. We mainly faced this issue in low-lying areas.”

Drawing attention to more detailed reporting in regions close to the Gediz River, where cold air accumulates in depressions, Deputy Minister Gizligider mentioned, “Since the onset of the disaster, our Manisa governor, our members of parliament, and our agriculture and forestry department teams have been by the citizens’ side. Even before the incident, as of April 8, we shared the data we received from meteorology with our producers via messages. Simultaneously, these information updates continued through social media channels. We have estimation and early warning systems in Manisa. These systems were activated. A comprehensive effort was made to minimize potential damages. We will have a clearer picture of the final results next week because the frost needs to subside. We have 184 technical staff members at the Manisa Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry. All of them went to the field and began the damage assessment in the early hours of the morning. 140 of our TARSİM experts also immediately went to the field. We obtained initial data on Manisa, having inspected the situation. According to our initial assessment, focusing mainly on grapes, cherries, peaches, apricots, quinces, pears, almonds, walnuts, plums, olives, 36,738 of our producers suffered frost losses in a total area of 812,681 hectares.”

Deputy Minister Gizligider continued, “In Manisa, 12,820 of our farmers had agricultural frost insurance covering 276,589 hectares. The insurance coverage rate for vineyards in Manisa is 54 percent, well above the Turkey average. In Saruhanlı, this rate has reached 75 percent, making it the district where we suffered the most damage. 11,946 of our producers were affected on 259,181 hectares in terms of frost damage. Within this scope, the damage assessment process of TARSİM is currently in a temporary expert evaluation phase. Temporary expertise refers to the initial evaluation conducted immediately after the damage. The ultimate assessment, after the completion of the crop development, will occur in July and August, as occurred 2 months earlier in Çukurova, and hopefully these payments will also go through.”

Issuing a call for farmers to obtain agricultural insurance, Gizligider said, “Don’t ask how often frost occurs. Just as we drive vehicles, mandatory traffic insurance is needed, and we take care of our vehicles with great attention, these vineyards are the livelihood of our children. For grape growers, the package including hail insurance already provides support for half or approximately 70% of state insurance premiums. There’s no guarantee that such disasters won’t reoccur in the future. Another additional support we offer is subsidies for fogging, fan, and shading equipment, where we provide 25-35% premium support. Rural development support is covered up to 50% by the state.”

“Requisite measures will be taken,” Gizligider stated, emphasizing that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had been informed about the agricultural frost incident from the very beginning. “The Parliament established a commission with participation from all parties. Following the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, it was announced through a media address. It is necessary to be registered in the Farmer Registration System (ÇKS), which is mandatory for us. If someone is not registered in the ÇKS, legally speaking, that person is not a farmer. For farmers without agricultural frost insurance, meaning not covered by TARSİM, the expenses they incurred for the damaged crops will be reimbursed by the government in proportion to the damage rate. Our government says, ‘Yes, I am by your side,’ but this should not be perceived as ‘since the state is covering it, it’s fine.’ The final precaution is insurance. Farmers without insurance and not covered by TARSİM can visit our district and provincial agricultural directorates and say, ‘When you came, perhaps there was no issue, but now we have seen this. Please make your own assessment based on ours as well.’ Until the assessments are completed, follow the directives of the assigned personnel at the district and provincial directorates. Later on, to avoid any problems related to absence of damage or compensation legally, we recommend considering this information. We are responsible not only for assessments and compensations but also for looking ahead. The most crucial thing is to ensure the continuity of production. We are here to take new measures in this regard. We will sign new legislation with our Parliament. We need to be prepared for whatever happens in the future.”