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- October 15, 202615°
- BIST10012,118-1.08%
- USD49.39+0.05%
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- INTEREST37.00%-1.00
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- October 15, 202615°
Istanbul expects a 20-25% rise in sunflower production this year
As the sunflower harvest approaches in Istanbul, this year’s production is expected to rise by 20-25% from approximately 44,000 tons last year. Producers in Çatalca say rainfall and favorable weather have increased yields and plan to expand their planting areas next season.
As the sunflower harvest approaches in Istanbul, higher production than last year is expected thanks to favorable weather conditions and the efforts of producers. Increased yields in Silivri, Çatalca, Arnavutköy and Büyükçekmece, where production is concentrated, have strengthened farmers’ expectations.
Sunflower production in the city, which totaled approximately 44,000 tons last year, is projected to increase by 20-25% this year. Harvesting in the fields of Çatalca is expected to begin soon, depending on weather conditions.
Producers hopeful about higher yields
Emre Uysal, 35, who farms in Çatalca’s Bahşayış neighborhood, said he had been farming since the age of 20 and had planted oilseed sunflowers on 300 decares this year.
Uysal said rainfall in the area had been sufficient for sunflowers and expressed expectations of at least a 20% increase in yields compared with last season. He said producers had seen the positive effects of moist soil and favorable weather conditions.
Uysal said they alternated sunflowers with different crops, such as wheat, planting sunflowers one year and switching to other crops the next. He said fields planted with wheat this year would be used to grow sunflowers next season.
Seeds provided with 75% grant support
Uysal said they had received sunflower seeds from the Çatalca District Directorate of Agriculture with 75% grant support. He said increasing such support would further raise production volumes.
Uysal said they sold their produce to Trakya Birlik, adding that the Agricultural Credit Cooperative and traders also purchased sunflowers. He said producers tried to direct their products to buyers offering better prices.
Young people should be encouraged to take up farming
Uysal said he had a master’s degree but could not stay away from farming, adding that he was the youngest farmer in Bahşayış. He said young people should be encouraged to engage more in agriculture and expressed his intention to expand his cultivated area next year.
Uysal said he considered sunflower production valuable for the country and aimed to contribute by farming larger areas.
Fourth-generation farming in Çatalca
Korkut Arıkan, a fourth-generation farmer in Çatalca, said he had been engaged in agriculture for 40 years and had planted sunflowers on 200 decares this year. Arıkan said they used seeds provided with 75% support and that the seeds were suited to the region’s climate and soil.
Arıkan said rainfall conditions had been favorable this season and that although sunflowers did not require excessive water directly, they needed rainwater. He therefore expected higher yields per decare.
Arıkan said sunflowers matured in approximately four months, while wheat took nine months. He said sunflowers were planted in May and harvested in mid-September, depending on weather conditions, adding that their cultivation costs were lower and their pricing was more favorable for farmers.
Arıkan said they wanted to expand their planting areas next year and that young people should be encouraged to take an interest in agriculture, while return migration to villages should be supported. Emphasizing the importance of production for both the country and the world, Arıkan described farming as a factory operating in the open air.
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