Workers Endure Extreme Heat in Türkiye’s Cotton Fields

Despite temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F), agricultural workers in Hatay’s Amik Plain, a major cotton production area in Türkiye, are tirelessly hoeing weeds from cotton plants. These laborers, earning a daily wage of 515 TL ($16), work nine-hour shifts from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Amik Plain, crucial for Turkey’s agriculture, continues to thrive as farmers transition from wheat to cotton cultivation, even as the region recovers from a recent earthquake.