Mehmet Sakarya, a farmer in the rural Keles district of Bursa, established a blue spruce garden at an altitude of 1,300 meters. Despite the fact that 70 percent of the land consists of forest and is not suitable for agriculture, Sakarya, which wants to revive agriculture in the region, creates employment by growing blue spruce seedlings. Stating that producers in different parts of Turkey have done great things in a short time, Sakarya aims to open up to the world market by following in the footsteps of growing Turkish brands.
Farmer Producing High Added Value from His Small Area
Sakarya, which is trying to produce alternative agriculture despite the region’s high altitude and climate not being suitable for agriculture, said, “We need to produce coniferous plants such as blue spruce. We are currently in the trial phase. We buy them as seedlings and grow them up to 1 meter. 70 percent of our land is forest, the areas where we can process agriculture are very small, therefore we are creating new job opportunities. We need public support regarding this issue. We have to grow products with guaranteed purchases because we are in a region very far from the market. We are trying to produce high added value from a small area.”
Türkiye Now Exports Outdoor Plants
Sakarya, who stated that outdoor plants were imported in Turkey until 5 years ago but now they have started to be exported together with domestic production, said, “The ‘hopsi blue spruce’ plant we produce is suitable and ideal for the region. With its high altitude and resistance to harsh winters, blue spruce grows very well in the region. Producers in Kestel have managed to become a world brand for blue spruce produced in the Black Sea and Aegean regions of Turkey. We also aim to become a regional brand by following in their footsteps. There are Turkish companies that send products to countries such as Spain and the Netherlands. We also aim to contribute to the regional economy by gaining a place in this market.”
