Utku Efe Kundakcı
Seasonal agricultural workers in the Çukurova region, where citrus cultivation is concentrated, have travelled for kilometres to various areas this year, as they do every year, to work during the harvest and maintenance season. The workers, the majority of whom come from Urfa and the surrounding area to the citrus groves in Adana, earn enough to make ends meet by living in tent camps for approximately five months. Agricultural workers are among those most affected by climate change. One of the greatest challenges faced by workers, who labour from the early hours of the morning until the midday heat, is the extreme heat; he noted that the pay for their labour under such difficult conditions amounts to only between 1,300 and 1,500 TL per day, adding that another major issue is financial hardship. The workers’ shifts begin at 07.00 and continue until 16.00, with breaks of one or, at times, one and a half hours a day.
MEASURES MUST BE TAKEN FOR SEASONAL WORKERS
M.K.K., a seasonal agricultural worker who has travelled from Urfa to Adana, stated that their biggest problems are the extreme heat, which intensifies during the summer months, and financial hardship, adding that working outdoors all day is becoming increasingly difficult with each passing year. Seasonal agricultural workers, who play a significant role in Adana’s citrus cultivation, are calling for both an improvement in working conditions and more comprehensive measures to protect workers labouring under extreme heat.
INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE IS DEEPENING THE CRISIS
Commenting on the issue, Adnan Çobanoğlu, General Organising Secretary of Çiftçi-Sen, said that the effects of the climate crisis are being felt more distinctly in agricultural areas with each passing year. Noting that rising temperatures directly affect not only production but also the health and working conditions of seasonal agricultural workers labouring in the open air, Çobanoğlu emphasised the need to step up protective measures, particularly during the summer months. Drawing attention to the pressure the climate crisis is placing on agricultural production, Çobanoğlu argued that industrial agricultural practices and activities that have a negative impact on the environment are deepening the climate crisis. Stating that the solution lies in the wider adoption of production methods more in harmony with nature, Çobanoğlu said that agricultural policies prioritising traditional production approaches would contribute both to environmental protection and to the sustainability of agricultural production. Meanwhile, noting that a significant proportion of seasonal agricultural workers are uninsured and lack social security, Çobanoğlu said that strengthening organisation and ensuring public institutions play a more effective role are necessary to resolve this situation.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Çukurova sıcağında emek sömürülüyor, published in BirGün newspaper on July 6, 2026.
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