Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, which supports farmers in many areas from seedling and sapling supply to ensuring quality production, from equipment support to sales and marketing of products, continues its work uninterruptedly to increase product quality in agriculture and to ensure that farmers can get the price they deserve. Having previously purchased Bursa melon and watermelon producers at their value so that they would not be victimized, the Metropolitan Municipality this time purchased einkorn wheat from farmers of Yazıbaşı village in Keles district through subsidiaries under the coordination of the Rural Services Department.
Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey, who was welcomed with enthusiasm in the neighborhood square, met with the villagers and had a friendly conversation before the purchase ceremony. Mayor Bozbey tasted the gözleme made with einkorn flour and had a pleasant breakfast with the citizens. In addition to Mayor Mustafa Bozbey, CHP District Chairman Cevat Acar, Besaş Board Chairman Orkun Gazioğlu, Besaş General Manager İbrahim Alpay Demirtaş, Tarım AŞ General Manager Sedat Akar, BursaSu General Manager Erman Aydıngün, Yazıbaşı Neighborhood Headman Muhammer Kılınçarslan, members of the council and many citizens attended the program.
“We are ready to support”
Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey emphasized that they know the value of the homeland very well and therefore the importance of protecting the lands. Stating that we have a responsibility to protect our culture and pass it on to future generations, Mayor Bozbey stated that they came to buy einkorn wheat but also listened to the problems of the village. Stating that they will start the necessary work without wasting time, Bozbey said, “The names of the villages are now called neighborhoods, but this does not matter to us. We were born as villagers, we will die as villagers. We know what labor means. We also know how the villagers struggle with hardships but cannot earn enough income. Don't worry. As Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, we will both be with our farmers' products and struggle not to leave their products on the field. We have a responsibility to realize a large part of the villagers' dreams. There is not only einkorn here, but also an important black cumin plantation. We are ready to support in this regard.”
“We Will Succeed One by One”
President Bozbey, who stated that they started the factory establishment to provide flat and round pipe support to provide irrigation support to farmers, announced that they will also support the villagers in this area. Bozbey, who stated that there will be support in terms of fuel oil and fertilizer, said, “We are about to make an agreement with a factory on fertilizer. We will make an agreement on liquid fertilizer and share it with our farmers. Reducing inputs means increasing the income of our farmers and cultivating more areas. We will achieve these all together. All you have to do is plant. We must know our arable areas in Bursa clearly. We will plan this together. This year, there were problems with melons, watermelons, tomatoes and peppers. It was known in advance that there would be problems as a result of the export quota imposed on the products. But unfortunately, no one visited the villages and said, 'There is a quota, plant these instead of tomatoes' on this issue. An advisory board is being formed in Tarım AŞ, which will include the heads of the agricultural chambers of 17 districts and officials from universities. The aim is to ensure that farmers plant qualified and high-quality products and to ensure that products with high market share are preferred. "These places need to generate significant income in order not to lose young people to the cities. Hopefully, we will achieve these one by one," he said.
“Land is very valuable”
Expressing that Bursa and the mountain region have very fertile lands, President Bozbey stated that Bursa is one of the important centers of agriculture. Expressing that the pandemic has once again revealed the importance of agriculture, Bozbey said, “For God's sake, do not sell your lands. Land is very valuable. It will be even more valuable tomorrow. We are purchasing einkorn wheat through subsidiaries under the coordination of the Rural Services Department. Approximately 10 tons of einkorn wheat are being purchased. Agreements were made because there is a purchase guarantee regarding the price. May it be beneficial. We want more to be planted next year. We will continue to work with a pricing policy where you will not suffer losses and can make a profit. Einkorn wheat is also an ancestral seed and has been planted in Anatolian lands for 12 thousand years. BESAŞ will make bread from this wheat and the consumer will reach a healthy product. Your labor goes all the way to the table. I thank you for your labor.”
