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Tropical fruit producers in Alanya, one of Türkiye's major tourism and agricultural centers, are turning to smart automation systems to prepare their greenhouses for climate change and drought.
The shift comes as farmers in the Antalya district move away from traditional vegetable production and increasingly focus on tropical fruits such as bananas and avocados. According to Alanya Tropical Fruit Producers Union President Ali Huddoglu, growers are now modernizing their greenhouses with automated systems that manage ventilation, irrigation, humidity, and soil-based water use.
Huddoglu said the union has been working to protect tropical fruit production in the region from the negative effects of climate change and drought. He added that producers are being informed throughout the process and guided toward systems that can make greenhouse farming more efficient.
The new systems can adjust humidity inside greenhouses and optimize irrigation according to soil conditions. Huddoglu said this helps farmers cut down on labor and reduce the financial burden of production.
"This process is being shaped through cooperation with universities as we adapt our automation and irrigation systems to climate change. We aim to make all greenhouses in the region smart," Huddoglu said.
Alongside automation, the union is also training and certifying producers under GlobalGAP and Good Agricultural Practices programs, which are designed to bring farming methods in line with international production and safety standards.
Huddoglu said the goal is to align local producers with global standards while adapting tropical fruit farming to the new climate reality. He added: "As a union, we are repositioning tropical fruit production in the region according to climate change."
Energy costs are another part of the transformation. Huddoglu said Solar Power Plant projects, known in Türkiye as GES, are being introduced in greenhouses to lower electricity expenses.
Some producers have already started meeting their energy needs through solar power, he said, noting that state support and incentives are also available in this area. Huddoglu stressed that producers need to fully prepare themselves for the changing climate.
According to Huddoglu, smart automation systems can lower labor costs by up to 70% and water costs by up to 50%, while increasing product efficiency by 20% to 30%.
In the Toslak neighborhood, banana and avocado producer Ali Riza Selimoglu said technology has become one of the strongest tools for reducing production costs.
He said tasks that once required a worker throughout the day can now be managed from a mobile phone. Through the system, he can open and close ventilation, apply fertilizer, adjust humidity, and activate irrigation remotely.
"Being able to manage everything online gives us a serious advantage in terms of cost. Thanks to this technology, we prevent unnecessary fertilization and irrigation," Selimoglu said.
He added that farmers previously risked giving plants too much or too little water, but the system now sends warnings when temperatures rise or soil moisture drops.
"This is a very vital factor for farmers at a time when climate conditions are constantly changing," he said.
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