Two Siblings Revitalize Ancestral Olive Grove in Samsun
· Tarım TV
Two siblings, leaving their settled lives in Istanbul, returned to Samsun's Alaçam district and revived their father's 40-year-old inherited olive grove with technical support, increasing its yield to 2 tons.
Nuran Işık and Nurcan Ayaş, sisters who left their settled lives in Istanbul for a permanent return to their hometown, Alaçam district of Samsun, have revived the olive grove inherited from their father. The two sisters, who took charge of 90 olive trees, aged 40, on a 4-decare land in the Etyemez neighborhood, transformed their childhood experiences into agricultural production. Filling the void left by their father Naim Güller's passing in 2010, the producers launched an intensive maintenance effort in the grove, whose saplings were originally brought from Yalova.
The producers, who decided to revive the garden, continued their work systematically with the technical support provided by agricultural engineers. Producer Nuran Işık, who stated that her goal is to keep her father's name alive, made the following assessment:
Producer Nurcan Ayaş, emphasizing that their goal is to carry the garden into the future, shared her feelings with these words:
The correct maintenance, pruning, and fertilization programs implemented quickly reflected in fruit set and yield. Alaçam District Director of Agriculture and Forestry Şenol Özcan stated that the regular maintenance directly boosted harvest figures, noting that production, which was initially around 800 kilograms in the garden, eventually reached 1200 kilograms. It was recorded that thanks to the continuation of correct agricultural practices, this year's yield potential in the parcel with 90 trees has risen to 2 tons.
Alaçam District Director of Agriculture and Forestry Şenol Özcan announced new investments for regional producers, aiming to boost the olive cultivation potential across the district. It was stated that with 5,000 saplings to be distributed to farmers in cooperation with Samsun Metropolitan Municipality, a new production area of 170 decares will be established in the district. In addition to increasing production volume, a modern olive oil pressing facility will be established in Alaçam to enhance the added value of the harvested products.
| Value | Period | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 4 decares | — | Olive grove area |
| 40 years | — | Tree age |
| 90 units | — | Number of trees |
| 800 kg | — | First stage olive production |
| 1200 kg | — | Olive production in development stage |
| 2 tonnes | This year | Targeted yield potential |
| 5000 units | — | Amount of saplings to be distributed |
| 170 decares | — | New production area to be opened |