Hüseyin Demirtaş

This year's heavy rains in May and June, particularly in Central Anatolia, have disrupted farmers' calendars. Prolonged rains in some regions and sudden and heavy rains in others have pushed back the harvest calendar for crops such as barley and wheat by an average of two weeks.

Ongoing debris removal work in 11 earthquake-affected provinces has put food safety on the agenda, as experts warn that dumping building rubble on or near farmlands can cause unprecedented harm to not only food crops but also the environment.

Since a dozen people were hospitalized this week with symptoms of food poisoning after consuming spinach, questions arose as to whether the vegetable was safe to consume for Turkish people, especially after a similar incident two years ago during the same season.