News » 01.08.2024 - Grower in Bursa produces 3 million ornamental plants annually at 900 meter altitude, taking advantage of water from melted snow for irrigation
Mehmet Sakarya, who grows ornamental plants in the greenhouse he built at an altitude of 900 meters in Bursa, achieves five times more productivity by irrigating with melted snow water from Uludag.
Sakarya said: "The main center of ornamental plant cultivation is Yalova. But because we use family labor here, our costs are slightly lower than in Yalova. That is why our customers prefer us because our prices are more competitive than the Yalova growers and the growers from Bursa city center."
Farmer Mehmet Sakarya, who has built a greenhouse at an altitude of 900 meters in Bursa's rural Keles district, grows ornamental plants even though the region is not suitable for agriculture because of the climate. Sakarya explained that the productivity is five times higher than at sea level and that 1 kilogram of fertilizer can be used on 1,000 square meters of land by using melted snow water from Uludag, and in comparison at least five kilograms of fertilizer is used in Yalova, the regional center of greenhouses. Mr. Sakarya points out that there are no diseases in the soil because no other ornamental plants are grown in the surrounding region, and that the products from the region have a longer lifespan.
Mehmet Sakarya says they have no problems with production but need more help with marketing: "We are working on a total of 1.5 hectares. We are currently working on summer plants such as summer begonias. If possible, we will start with winter plants in September. We live in a climatically disadvantaged area. It is a high-altitude region. It was necessary to make a change in this area. It is a bit difficult to produce in the open field in our conditions. This is the second year that people have planted beans and potatoes because of frost. There was a frost between the 6th and 10th of May. So we had to switch to greenhouse production. We started with small experiments. This year is our 7th year of production. We try to meet the needs of the public with what we produce. In this business, being able to market the product well is even more important than producing. I think we have achieved a good momentum in production. We have increased our seasonal production to 3 million. We have received support from the public. They have supported us so far. Since we are on the top of the mountain, we do not have the opportunity to sell our products to people passing by. Our customer is the public. If the public supports us, we will go further. We paid 15 USD per day to women workers during the summer. We provided work for all the unemployed in the village. We have provided employment opportunities for 1,000 people in a year".
Stating that they produce 3 million units per season and can grow even more with support, Sakarya said, "We aim to increase production. The public also needs to support us so that we can increase the number of producers. We produce flowers here. We have also started vegetable production and soilless agriculture. As a region, we need to switch to greenhouse production. If the public supports us, there is no reason why we cannot develop. Water is a very important factor in ornamental production. Our biggest asset is water. We have both advantages and disadvantages. Our location is very good for seasonal crop production. We have noticed this advantage. The biggest challenge we have here is marketing. The production part is very easy, but I cannot say the same about marketing."
Source: www.floraldaily.com
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