Pumpkin Produced in Kovancılar Exported for the First Time

October 6, 2026 · Dünya Gazetesi

Pumpkin cultivation, which started with trial production 20 years ago in Yarımca village of Elazığ's Kovancılar district, has reached an annual yield of 1,200 tons and achieved its first export success.

A few pumpkin seeds, brought to the soil for trial purposes by a producer in Yarımca village, Kovancılar district of Elazığ, about 20 years ago, have now become the main source of livelihood for the entire village. The high yield obtained in the initial trials, along with the product's size and intense aroma, attracted significant interest, quickly encouraging other farmers in the village to engage in this production. With the expansion of cultivation areas over the years, the annual pumpkin production in Yarımca village has reached approximately 1,200 tons.

While the pumpkins produced have long been offered to the domestic market, particularly in Istanbul, Erzurum, Van, Sivas, and Kayseri, this season marked the first success in expanding to foreign markets. Engin Çalışkan, one of the producers in the village, stated that they expect a yield of about 180 tons from his 30-decare land and reported that they exported 10 tons of this product to the TRNC. Emphasizing their desire to continue exports through intermediary firms, producer Engin Çalışkan made the following remarks about their goals:

Çalışkan expressed their aim to reach the European market.

Evaluating the agricultural activity in the region, Elazığ Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry, Saadettin Taşkesen, announced that an average of 4,000 tons of pumpkin are produced annually across the province. Taşkesen noted that the recent significant momentum in production in the Kovancılar district has created an important agricultural potential for the region, and that the area's soil structure and climate conditions are perfectly suited for pumpkin cultivation. The villagers aim to organize the Yarımca Pumpkin Festival in the coming period.

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