Downpours, tornadoes ravage Antalya's agricultural land

ANTALYA

The southern province of Antalya was plunged into chaos late on March 5 as a relentless downpour, accompanied by two separate tornadoes sweeping in from the sea, wreaked havoc across the region, damaging crucial agricultural land.

Due to heavy rains, streets and underpasses, especially the Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev Underpass in the Kepez district, which previously suffered deadly floods on Feb. 13, were filled with water, leaving side streets clogged.

In Kepez and Konyaaltı districts, many vehicles found themselves stranded on waterlogged roads, prompting the closure of flooded underpasses to traffic.

Amidst the storm, six people were injured as the tornadoes inflicted widespread damage to greenhouses, agricultural areas, workplaces and buildings in four districts, destroying 1,000 decares of greenhouses in the Kumluca district, the center of greenhouse agriculture.

After the weather returned to normal, damage assessment began and Hidayet Kökce, the head of the Kumluca Chamber of Agriculture, surveyed affected areas. Visiting impacted farmers, he gathered crucial information about the extent of the damage.

"Some of our producers had insurance, but there are also those who do not. The tornado passed through 12 kilometers with a width of 70 to 80 meters," he said.

Kökce cautioned against potential price hikes by opportunistic individuals, noting, "Whenever there is a disaster, black marketers appear."

Assuring consumers, he affirmed that there would be no price increases, despite claims of product scarcity.

Kökce admitted that it would not be possible to rebuild the destroyed greenhouses in a short time and emphasized the substantial costs associated with reconstruction, sharing that the installation cost of one acre of nylon greenhouses is 500,000 Turkish Liras ($15,752).