University and Producers Meet in Bolu for Forest Fruits
· boluhavadis.net
In a panel and practical harvest event held in Bolu, organic forest fruit cultivation and certification processes were discussed from academic and institutional perspectives.
The panel titled “Forest Fruit Cultivation and Organic Farming,” hosted by Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Faculty of Agriculture, concluded with the intense participation of academics, public officials, sector stakeholders, and regional producers. Speaking at the opening of the meeting held in the Faculty's conference hall, Dean Prof. Dr. Mustafa İmren stated that the partnerships established between the university, the public, and producers accelerate regional agricultural development.
Speaking at the panel, BAİBÜ Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Ferudun Kaya noted that transferring the scientific knowledge from the university directly to the producer increases field productivity. Zekeriya Ar, Bolu Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry, shared the progress the city has made in recent years in organic farming and value-added forest fruit production, drawing attention to the importance of institutional support provided to producers to leverage the natural potential for the economy.
In the technical session held, the rising market share of forest fruits and sustainable organic farming methods were comprehensively discussed. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emrah Güler presented suitable fruit species and cultivation techniques for the region, while Çağrı Civan, Head of the Plant Production and Plant Health Branch, detailed the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's organic farming regulations and the steps for obtaining certification to producers.
Following the theoretical training, the program continued with a harvest event at Örencik Village Plateau, which holds a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry approved Organic Collection Area Certificate. In the practice involving members of the Bolu Gelincik Hanımeli Women's Cooperative and producers, blackberries, apples, rosehips, and cornelian cherries were collected. Participants applied organic collection rules on-site and examined the possibilities for evaluating and preserving the region's wild fruit resources.