TÜRKŞEKER's Malatya Factory Launches 71st Campaign
· Türkşeker
The Malatya Sugar Factory officially commenced its 2026/2027 beet procurement and production season with a ceremony, boasting a daily processing capacity of 3,800 tons.
Beet Procurement Campaign Begins
Malatya Sugar Factory launched its 71st beet procurement and processing season on September 3, 2026, with a ceremony. The opening of the 2026/2027 campaign, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Turkish sugar industry, was attended by TÜRKŞEKER Deputy General Manager Ahmet Aytemur, Factory Manager Abdullah Çakmakçı, Malatya Sugar-İş Union Branch Chairman Nuri Murat, and Malatya Beet Growers Cooperative Chairman Celal Şerefhanlı. Following protocol speeches and prayers, gifts were presented to the producers who brought the first beets of the season to the facility. With the sacrifice of an animal in the weighbridge area, the first weighing and procurement operations of the new season were officially initiated.
Factory's Production Capacity and History
Speaking at the ceremony, TÜRKŞEKER Deputy General Manager Ahmet Aytemur stated that the factory began operations on October 1, 1956, and announced its daily beet processing capacity of 3,800 tons. Aytemur reminded that the institution operates with 14 sugar factories, as well as alcohol, machinery, and electromechanical factories. Touching upon the facility's history, TÜRKŞEKER Deputy General Manager Ahmet Aytemur made the following remarks:
"Our journey, which began with the first foundation laid in Uşak in 1926, continues today with the accumulation of a century. Our Malatya Sugar Factory has witnessed exactly 71 years of this century; meaning the story of this factory is approximately three-quarters of the history of the Turkish sugar industry. We have all seen that this facility, established to produce, was also there to heal wounds when necessary during the February 6 earthquakes. This is the most concrete proof that TÜRKŞEKER is not just an industrial organization, but an institution of the nation."
Regional Importance of the New Season
Factory managers and cooperative representatives who spoke at the program expressed their wishes for the new procurement season to be productive for producers, employees, and the agricultural industry. Within the scope of the opening program, the products delivered by the farmers were systematically entered into the weighbridge and transferred to the factory's stockyard. Officials stated that processing the beets harvested from the cultivation areas in Malatya and surrounding provinces will contribute to both the local agricultural economy and the sugar supply. The facility will carry out continuous processing operations throughout the 2026/2027 production period.