Greenhouse Entrepreneur Pursues Agricultural Biotechnology Engineering
· Google Haberler
Yasemin Güler Orhan, who established a greenhouse in Süleymanpaşa, Tekirdağ with a 75% grant support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, is elevating her production experience to an academic level with her agricultural biotechnology engineering education.
Established a Greenhouse and Became an Agricultural Engineer
Yasemin Güler Orhan, 38, residing in Süleymanpaşa district of Tekirdağ, has transformed her passion for agriculture, inherited from her agricultural engineer father during her childhood, into professional greenhouse cultivation. Despite graduating in a different field as a food technician, Orhan, who wanted to elevate her interest in agricultural production to an academic level, took the university entrance exam and was accepted into the agricultural biotechnology engineering program. The producer, who has been growing vegetables and ornamental plants in her greenhouse for three consecutive years, is rapidly strengthening her production capacity with the 75% grant support provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Projects Launched to Activate Agricultural Lands
The Tekirdağ Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry continues its efforts to increase vegetable production in the region and engage young farmers in production within the scope of Agricultural Land Utilization Activation (TAKE) Projects. Within the framework of the 'Let Vegetable Farming Increase, Let Producers Smile' and 'Bringing Young Farmers into Agriculture' projects, 75% of seedling costs are covered by the Ministry's budget, while the producer's contribution is kept at 25%. Seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are distributed for summer production, while seedlings of lettuce, cabbage, and cauliflower are regularly distributed for the winter period.
Transition from Childhood Curiosity to Greenhouse Production
Producer Yasemin Güler Orhan, who produces using modern methods in her greenhouse, stated that she grew up immersed in agriculture during her father's work at research institutes and shared her career choice and starting story:
"I have been growing tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, various ornamental and squash varieties in the greenhouses you see for 3 years. My start in this business actually dates back to my childhood. My late father was also an agricultural engineer. As I accompanied him during his work at research institutes, I succumbed to this curiosity. Although I graduated from the food technician department, I took the university entrance exam again and was accepted into agricultural biotechnology engineering this year."
Controlled Struggle with Good Agricultural Methods
Orhan stated that she adopts environmentally sensitive and sustainable models in her production process and emphasized that she focuses on biotechnical and controlled methods against diseases and pests in her greenhouse. Highlighting that she keeps chemical pesticide use to a minimum, producer Yasemin Güler Orhan explained her protective techniques:
"As you can see here, I grow tomatoes and peppers. But how do I do it? First of all, we practice good agriculture. We set up our traps. We spray based on the population status. My greenhouse is not a place that is frequently sprayed."
Production Supported by 75% Grant
Producer Yasemin Güler Orhan, who stated that she tests the most suitable vegetable varieties for Trakya's climate and soil conditions in the field, emphasized the significant contribution of public support in reducing production costs and shared the process:
"I am trying to determine which varieties are more productive in greenhouses in Trakya, which ones are less or more susceptible to diseases. I am also benefiting from the support provided to young entrepreneurs and farmers here. In this greenhouse, we currently have a determinate variety of tomato. I received the seedling for this tomato with a 75% grant from our Ministry. I wanted to try this variety. When I heard about the grant, I wanted to benefit from it. I am very pleased."
Disease-Free Yield with Certified Seedlings
Producer Yasemin Güler Orhan drew attention to the resistance of certified seedlings, procured with the Ministry's assurance, against soil-borne pathogens and explained how production losses are prevented:
"When we use certified seedlings from our Ministry, I can say that we don't have to fight diseases at all. For example, I have never seen the disease called Fusarium wilt in this variety, and I have been monitoring it for months. However, with seedlings obtained from other producers, from non-certified sources, we often fail. Because either a virus or a disease comes, and we cannot prevent it."
Local Breeding and Hybrid Seeds
Producer Yasemin Güler Orhan noted that she prefers to use seeds developed as a result of local R&D activities in her greenhouse and expressed the motivation derived from growing plants:
"In my greenhouse, I prefer tomato, pepper, squash, and cucumber varieties produced from hybrid seeds developed through local breeding studies. Growing a fruit is truly like raising a child, and one feels very happy while doing it. You forget everything here. While taking care of it, you watch it, you tend to it. This is not a fleeting thing; it's truly like one's child. I recommend it to everyone."
Call for Support Program for Young Farmers
During the program where technical teams from the Tekirdağ Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry visited the greenhouse for inspections, a call was made for young people to benefit from agricultural grants. Producer Yasemin Güler Orhan stated that entrepreneurs who want to produce should closely follow official support programs and made a call to producers:
"Follow the grants and support. It's never too late for anything. I thank everyone here. I especially extend my gratitude to our Provincial Directorate of Agriculture."