New Generation Entrepreneurs Scale Up in Agriculture and Livestock
· GıdaTarım
Entrepreneurs transitioning to agriculture and livestock from various sectors are establishing modern production models, ranging from domestic genetic breeding to value-added fruit farming, supported by technology and public funding.
New Generation Entrepreneurs Turning to Agriculture
Professionals from diverse occupational backgrounds are leaving their careers behind to make high-tech investments in agriculture and livestock. Entrepreneurs are establishing scaled operations by integrating genetic breeding, robotic automation, good agricultural practices, branding, and public support. These innovative projects, implemented in provinces like Kırklareli, Tekirdağ, and Düzce, are modernizing traditional farming models and creating high value-added production patterns. New generation entrepreneurship, strengthened by public support and grant programs, is providing significant momentum to rural development and agricultural productivity.
Robotic Milking and Breeding in Kırklareli
Sinan Kolat, a graduate of Robert College and Sabancı University, established a cattle farm in the village of Deveçatağı, Kırklareli, in 2013 with a livestock loan. Kolat, who entered the sector with 580 pregnant heifers, has increased his animal population to 3,100 heads, his milking cows to 1,100, and his daily milk production to approximately 42 tons. Farm Owner and Entrepreneur Sinan Kolat, who implements robotic milking, genetic testing, and embryo transfer in his operation, described the process as follows:
'My friends and close acquaintances are very surprised when they hear that I, a Robert College graduate, am involved in livestock farming. They ask, ‘How are the cows?’, ‘How do you do it?’. Our conversations always turn to this topic. It is very enjoyable to see what you produce in the real sector. After the challenging initial years, we have become a farm that is shown as an example in Turkey.'
Domestic Bull Semen Production Initiative
Kolat, who focuses on genetic quality in his operation, is conducting domestic production efforts against the import of a large portion of bull semen used in artificial insemination in Turkey. The farm, carrying out a joint project with the International Livestock Research and Training Center in Ankara, has received its first domestic semen and started sales. Sinan Kolat, aiming to reduce external dependency in cattle genetics, shared his goals with the following words:
'We will produce domestic bull semen from our bulls and popularize its use in Turkey. We intend to make a leap forward in cattle genetics in Turkey, to go much further.'
Value-Added Fruit Farming by Female Entrepreneurs
In addition to livestock, investments by entrepreneurs from different professions in crop production are also noteworthy. Melda Ertürk Gençer, a physiotherapist in Tekirdağ, is producing with 7,800 blackberry saplings on an 11-decare area. In Düzce, 38-year-old Simge Tokcan, who left her 12-year accounting career, turned to blueberry cultivation on her 3-decare land in the village of Derdin. Tokcan, who obtained soil analysis and sourced 6 different varieties of blueberries suitable for the region, joined production by benefiting from state support provided for female entrepreneurs.