Neither as costly as apples nor as troublesome as cherries: It has become the producer's new favorite

Amasya province has emerged as a growing production hub for cennet hurması (persimmon), with this year's harvest projected at about 1,500 tons as growers increasingly favor the fruit over apples and cherries. Farmers say the persimmon requires less pesticide-intensive cultivation than the region's famed misket apples and is easier to harvest than cherries, positioning it as a lower-cost alternative crop. Fresh fruit is currently selling on the branch for 15 to 20 Turkish lira per kilogram, and producers call it "yellow gold" because drying the fruit multiplies its sale price. The shift matters for regional growers weighing input costs and labor against returns from established apple and cherry orchards. What to watch next is whether the expected 1,500-ton crop materializes and whether dried-fruit demand sustains the premium pricing that is driving the switch.