The peony flower, produced in the Netherlands and marketed to the world, was produced in the steppe of Sivas, and the peony produced from Sivas will hopefully become a product exported abroad.
An entrepreneur named Nurettin Otyakmaz managed to produce peonies in the Tatlicak hamlet of the Gemerek district of Sivas. Otyakmaz managed to produce this particular flower variety, which is produced in the Netherlands and marketed to the world. It was considered impossible to grow this flower in Sivas, but the grower set his sights on the world market whilst currently selling his flowers in the domestic market. Otyakmaz stated that he saw the flower for the first time in the Netherlands and said, "I saw this flower when I went to the Netherlands. So I asked why we could not grow this beautiful flower in my own country and planted it in my hometown 3 years ago. Now, I started marketing the product. Now, I am having difficulty meeting the demand. I ship all over Turkey, including big markets such as Istanbul, Izmir, Antalya, and Ankara. Like every flower, this one requires attention. Once you love the flower, it makes you money. The income from the peony flower I planted on 3 decares of land is more profitable than the barley and wheat planted on 1,000 decares of land."
Gemerek District Agriculture and Forestry Director Cem Demir also went to Otyakmaz's greenhouse and examined the flowers on site. In his statement here, Demir said, "When we say Sivas, the first thing that comes to our mind is agricultural products such as wheat, barley, and beet. Our grower introduced this beautiful flower variety to our city. From now on, we will hear about peonies from Sivas in our country."
Source: Tokat Haber