The decision of the government to lease state land for 10 years to growers delighted cut flower growers in Antalya. Cut flower growers are also asking the government to expand its decision to include land that is currently not in use.
Central Anatolian Ornamental Plants Exporters Association President Ismail Yilmaz: “This decision could increase both employment and exports. Antalya is the main center in Turkey for agricultural production and we export cut flowers from Antalya to everywhere in the world. Right now Antalya is responsible for 70 % of the cut flower exports in Turkey and export numbers have surpassed 90 million USD as of September this season, which is a 5 million USD higher compared to the previous year. Netherlands is the top export destination for Turkish cut flowers followed by Uzbekistan, United Kingdom, Germany and Azerbaijan. We are consistently improving our export numbers and our goal for the end of this year is to reach the 125 million USD mark.
The biggest problems we have in the sector is lack of land and labor. This decision of the government can go a long way in solving the former issue. Isparta is another important cut flower production area, a city located very close to Antalya. The production in Antalya starts in November and ends in May and the production in Isparta starts in June and ends in November so by combining the production from these two locations, our growers can offer year-round supply. The exports usually peak in February and the top export product is carnations followed by roses, chrysanthemum and dianthus barbatus.”
Source: Sabah