Heatwaves Propel Basil Demand to Peak
· NTV Ekonomi
With the summer heat increasing fly and pest populations, consumers are turning to basil for its natural repellent properties, while greenhouse production efforts have accelerated.
Search for Natural Solutions Doubles Demand
The increase in fly and insect populations due to rising temperatures has led consumers to seek natural repellent plants instead of chemical pesticides. Basil, in particular, placed on balconies and in gardens, acts as a natural repellent with its sharp scent. Soner Denizli, a flower producer in Altınova, Yalova, who has been producing flowers for 20 years, shared the increasing market interest in the process:
"With the increase in demand for basil, we start working intensively and begin sending products to chain supermarkets. Basil is an inevitable plant of the summer months because it has natural fly repellent properties. When basil is present, mosquitoes do not approach. With the increase in flies, the demand for basil also increased. Basil has found its place in national chain supermarkets."
50,000 Weekly Production in Greenhouses
To meet the growing market demand, Soner Denizli has been working intensely at his facility, rapidly increasing production capacity with the help of 7 female employees. Denizli stated that they have sold approximately 300,000 pots in the last 5 months and are currently producing 50,000 pots of basil weekly, bringing the total sales volume of the business to 200-300,000 pots. Noting that the most scorching heat has just begun, the producer added that shipments are regularly delivered to consumers across Turkey through supermarket chains and that demand is expected to rise further in the coming weeks.
35-Day Process from Seed to Sale
Sharing technical details about the plant's care and cultivation conditions, Flower Producer Soner Denizli explained the production process and stages as follows:
"Basil care is not difficult. It needs sunlight and must not be left without water. Basil consumes a lot of water. If it is left without water, it loses its properties. Mostly women work in our greenhouse. We try to meet the demands with our approximately 7 female employees. So far, we have had sales of 200-300 thousand pots. However, the really scorching heat has just started. We expect our sales to increase even more from now on. We are making our preparations accordingly. We sow seeds weekly. Basil reaches sales size in 18-20 days in hot weather. About 10 days after sowing, it is ready for potting. That is, a seed becomes ready for sale in approximately 35 days."
Special Production Red Basil is Coming
In addition to production efforts, Flower Producer Soner Denizli, who also conducts variety development activities, provided the following information about his new product:
"We obtained red basil as a result of 3-4 years of research. We will start selling it as of September. I haven't seen this in Turkey before and I believe it is only with me. This is my special production."
Explaining the emergence story of the new product, Flower Producer Soner Denizli concluded his words as follows:
"I had planted basil and 'reyhan' (a type of basil) side by side. Later, when I saw the basil turning red, the idea of producing something like this came to my mind. I focused my work on this, and we obtained such a product. Its color became redder each year. Now, alongside green, we will also offer red to the market."
Denizli stated that the red variety, with its sharper scent, completely repels pests.