Safflower Cultivation Area in Sarız to Reach 500 Decares
· NTV Ekonomi
Mustafa Nezihi Kolukısa, who turned to agriculture after a 35-year public service career in Kayseri's Sarız district, aims to expand his high-oleic safflower production area to 500 decares.
Safflower Initiative After Retirement in Sarız
Mustafa Nezihi Kolukısa, residing in Kayseri, retired after 35 years of public service and began agricultural production in his hometown, the Sarız district. Introduced to the safflower plant upon the recommendation of those around him, Kolukısa has been continuously pursuing his production activities, which are now in their fourth year. The producer, aiming for agricultural development in the district, intends to create opportunities for young people who migrate due to a lack of employment.
Producer Mustafa Nezihi Kolukısa, sharing the story of his venture, described his initiative in the following words:
"I worked in the public sector for 35 years. Afterwards, I came to my hometown, Sarız, and started cultivating safflower on the advice of our friends. This is my fourth year. We are determined to extract high-oleic safflower oil in Sarız and this region, provided there are no obstacles. We want to be successful in this endeavor."
High Oleic Oil Preferred by the Japanese
Kolukısa stated that he decided to cultivate safflower after learning about its benefits from an academic, drawing attention to the health value of high-oleic safflower oil. The producer, Mustafa Nezihi Kolukısa, noted that the plant is particularly popular in the Far East and elaborated on the reason for its preference:
"He explained the benefits of safflower oil. I learned that particularly due to the high consumption of this oil by the Japanese, bodily health improves, heart diseases decrease, and it acts as a supportive vitamin. I decided to pursue this business after my retirement. I planted it for the first time thanks to our professor."
Five Hundred Decare Target for Cultivation Area
Kolukısa, who used 100 decares in his first year of production, gradually increased his cultivation area to 200 decares, and to 260 decares in the current season. Planning to raise the bar even higher in the next production period, the producer aims to make the Sarız district prominent within Kayseri, Turkey's leading safflower producer.
Sharing his production goals and enthusiasm, Producer Mustafa Nezihi Kolukısa explained his objectives with the following statements:
"When I first planted, it was 100 decares, then I increased it to 200 decares. This year it's 260 decares. Next year, God willing, I will make it 500 decares. The safflower I am planting is also high-oleic safflower. High-oleic safflower has the same values as those found in olive oil, avocados, hazelnuts, almonds, and walnuts. It is said to be very beneficial for cardiovascular diseases. For this reason, we started with enthusiasm. We are trying to spread this in Sarız. Hopefully, we will be successful in Sarız. Kayseri is first in Turkey in safflower production. We want to be first as a district in Kayseri."