In the Ceylanpinar Agricultural Enterprise affiliated to the General Directorate of Agricultural Enterprises in Sanliurfa, 18 thousand tons of harvest is expected this season in sunflower, which is grown to contribute to the oil industry and increase the yield with rotational planting.
Ceylanpinar Agricultural Enterprise, which has the title of “Turkey’s largest farm” in its field, carries out agriculture and animal husbandry activities on 1 million 663 thousand 862 decares of land. Many plants from barley to wheat, from lentils to corn, from pistachios to sunflowers, from vetch to oats are grown in the enterprise, where agriculture is carried out on an area of approximately 636 thousand decares.
In the enterprise, where technological tools and equipment are used, summer oil crops are grown in addition to seed grains, making a significant contribution to the country’s economy and farmers.
In order to keep the soil productive for many years, sunflowers are planted in the fields with the rotation system and it is aimed to spread the sunflower production to more areas by bringing more land with water every year.
“The pulp is used for the feed needs of animals”
Muhammet Altiparmak, Deputy Director of Crop Production of the enterprise, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that besides the fall cereal planting, they also planted summer oil crops for the purpose of using the land all year.
Stressing that the sunflower they plant is a very important product for the oil industry, Altiparmak said, “Sunflower is used both to meet the oil needs of our country and to feed the livestock with its pulp after the oil is extracted. Instead of growing the same product (lentils-lentils, wheat-wheat) in the same field every year, we are planting it for the purpose of alternation, as it is more beneficial in combating weed.”
A yield of 300 kilograms is expected per acre
Altiparmak stated that the sunflower, which they produced on an area of 55 thousand acres last year, was planted on an area of 63 thousand acres this year.
Noting that they expect a great increase in yield this year, Altiparmak continued:
“We expect 18 thousand tons of product from the 63 thousand acres of sunflower that we will produce this year. We bought 250 kilograms of product per acre last year, we expect 300 kilograms of yield this year. We are planning to increase the sunflower cultivation areas to 100 thousand acres in the coming years. We are making the sale of the product at the Sanliurfa Commodity Exchange by announcing it to all our industrialists. Our industrialists prefer our product instead of buying from abroad. Our product is in great demand because it is a domestic product. Our industrialists in Gaziantep, Adana, Corum and even Thrace participate in the sale made through tender. In this sense, the demand is very high.”
Source: AA / Translated by Irem Yildiz