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The first almond bloom harvest in Turkey took place in Mersin

In the district of Silifke in Mersin, the first harvest of almonds has begun, with each kilogram being sold for one thousand Turkish Lira. The first spring fruit of the Aegean and Mediterranean regions, almond bloom, has started to appear on the market stalls. With the warming weather, the first almond bloom harvest took place early in Silifke, Mersin. Completely organic and especially cultivated for commercial purposes in coastal areas, the kilogram of almond bloom finds buyers at 1000 TL on the stalls. Compared to previous years, almond bloom sales have started 20 days earlier, bringing smiles to the faces of producers Işıklı Neighborhood Headman Zafer Can noted that people are buying almond bloom in grams for tasting rather than purchasing it by the kilogram. Can stated, "It is produced entirely under natural conditions. There are no pesticides, no fertilizers. We cultivate it entirely naturally and organically. It is the livelihood of our village. We have a project as the Işıklı Environmental Cooperation and Tourism Association. There are thousands of hectares of vacant land in the highlands. We want to plant almond trees there. Currently, we have a production of around 100 tons. We sell it at 1000 liras per kilogram. However, for those who cannot afford to buy it by the kilo, we sell 100-gram packages for 100 liras." Can explained that the price is a bit high because almond bloom is newly harvested, stating, "People are interested in almond bloom. It's gratifying for our sales. As it is the first ripe fruit of the season, the price is a bit high, so almond bloom enthusiasts are purchasing it in 100-gram portions instead of by the kilogram. We expect prices to decrease as almond bloom harvesting increases in the coming days." Zafer Can emphasized that almond bloom is highly sought after due to being the first fruit of the season, stating, "We will move into full harvest with the almond bloom festival on March 9th.

Money spent on subsidies can help the fight

The bank has published a report titled "Detox Development: Repurposing Environmentally Harmful Subsidies". The report, which examines how subsidy reform can help protect the world's essential natural assets, stated that these assets, including clean air, land and oceans, are critical for human health and nourishment and form the basis of much of the global economy. In the report; It was noted that subsidies for fossil fuels, agriculture and fisheries cause the deterioration of these assets, harming people, the planet and economies, and that these subsidies, directly and implicitly, exceed 7 trillion dollars a year, which corresponds to about 8 percent of the global gross domestic product. $1.25 trillion per year in direct subsidies to agriculture, fisheries and fossil fuels Global direct government spending on agriculture, fisheries and fossil fuels is $1.25 trillion per year, which is the size of the Mexican economy. The report said trillions of dollars were wasted on subsidies to agriculture, fisheries and fossil fuels, which could be used to fight climate change. In the bank's report, it was stated that countries spend about six times the annual amount they have committed to mobilize towards renewable energies and low-carbon development under the Paris Agreement to subsidize their fossil fuel consumption. Subsidies to oil, gas and coal exacerbate climate change In the report, which stated that countries actively provided approximately $577 billion in government support in 2021 to artificially lower the prices of fuels such as oil, gas and coal, it was noted that this exacerbated climate change, causing air pollution, inequality, inefficiency and increasing debt burden. In the report, it was emphasized that direct government subsidies in agriculture exceeding 635 billion dollars per year lead to excessive use of fertilizers, which degrades soil and water and harms human health. In the report, which pointed out that subsidies in the field of fishing, which exceed 35 billion dollars every year, are the driving force of decreasing fish stocks, excessively large fishing fleets and falling profitability, it was stated that it is important to restore the world's fish stocks to a healthy state.

Demand for blueberry is increasing

Blue berry, whose homeland is North America and which can be produced in the Black Sea region for many years, has started to be produced in pots with soilless farming method in greenhouses and fields in Antalya in recent years. Since it is a delicate fruit, the product, which is carefully harvested and cared for, is packaged in certain weights. Blue berry, whose production areas are expanding rapidly due to its high added value, is exported to different countries, especially Russia, Europe and Far East countries, as well as the domestic market. The fruit, which draws attention with its low sugar content and antioxidant properties, provides income to the workers working in the agricultural sector as well as the investments of large companies. "Manufacturers turn to this product when their income is high" Antalya Agriculture and Forestry Manager Gökhan Karaca told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the blue berry, which was grown only in the Black Sea region for many years in Turkey, started to be produced intensively in Antalya in 2020 as well. Explaining that it is grown in pots because the soil structure is not suitable, Karaca said, "Blueberry is a new fruit, and demand is increasing rapidly in the world and in our country due to its antioxidant properties and low sugar content. As a result, the amount of production also increases. Produced on 450 decares of land in our country in 2013, this fruit has increased 13 times and reached 6,600 decares and 4,300 tons of production at the end of 2022." Karaca pointed out that one third of the blue berry in Turkey is produced in Antalya and stated that most of the production in the city goes to export. Noting that higher income is obtained from the unit area, Karaca said, "When the income is high, producers turn to this product. Some companies invest in large areas. The high income and added value lead the investor to this product. It is difficult to grow in Anatolian soils because it likes acidic soils, so it is produced in pots. " He quit banking and became a manufacturer Özkan Ayaşlı, who left the banking sector and started to produce blue nut on 55 decares of land in Aksu district, Karaöz Mahallesi, said that he turned to agriculture because agriculture and food would be much more important in the future. Stating that they prefer blue berry as a niche product, Ayaşlı said: "95 percent of the land in our country is not suitable for blueberry production. That's why we produce in pots by bringing the sun of Antalya together. The sun increases its aroma. We have brought the harvest to a certain point. We have shipments to be exported. It is a medicinal and aromatic fruit. It is available in street markets in Europe, not in Turkey. I think it will go to the neighborhood markets in two or three years." Ayaşlı pointed out that they pay attention to hygiene at every stage from production to packaging and that they practice good agriculture, and stated that they are subject to internal and external audits once or twice a year. Bayram Karaca, 62, who started the production of blue berry two years ago, also stated that its production is simple but requires a lot of attention, adding that it is necessary to give its water and fertilizer on time. Aliye Ünal, who harvested the fruit, said that they collected the fruit one by one so that the product would not be crushed, and that they separated the ripe ones according to their class. Hanife Karaca reported that the product requires care and attention like a baby.

#Agriculture

The first almond bloom harvest in Turkey took place in Mersin

Money spent on subsidies can help the fight

Demand for blueberry is increasing