Medicinal Herb Harvest Under Solar Panels in Samsun
· Tarım Pusulası
The harvest of medicinal and aromatic plants has commenced within the agrivoltaic farming project implemented at the solar power plant site in Samsun's Ladik district, involving members of a women's cooperative.
Aromatic Harvest Under the Panels
Harvest season has begun for the agrivoltaic farming project, implemented by the Samsun Metropolitan Municipality at the Solar Power Plant site in the Ladik district. Production is ongoing on a 1,685 square meter trial plot, situated within the 16.5 hectares of the 60-hectare power plant site that are suitable for agriculture. Among the total of 3,800 plants planted under the solar panels are 1,400 lavender, 900 medicinal sage, 1,000 thyme, and 500 medicinal mint. Within the scope of the ongoing field studies, the second harvest for sage and the first harvest for thyme have been carried out, with women producers who are members of the cooperative directly participating in the process.
Expansion of Production Area Targeted
In the project, where climate-resilient, low-water-consuming, value-added plants are cultivated, it is planned for women producers to handle the drying and packaging of the harvested products. To strengthen the technical infrastructure of the model, which brings idle power plant lands into production, the establishment of a distillation facility on the site is intended. The agrivoltaic production model, successfully implemented on the site, is expected to be expanded to the remaining 165 decares of the power plant area in the future, contributing to regional agriculture and women's employment.