The growers in the Sakarya Valley in Marmara region are planting watermelon seeds in cooperation with each other to cut down labor costs. The production takes place in an area of 70 million square feet with the application of modern agricultural methods. The products are sent to local markets, mainly Istanbul.
Osmaneli Production and Marketing Cooperative Ertugrul Unver: “The taste of the watermelon from Sakarya Valley is well known in the country. Our growers cooperate with each other to lower the production costs. We will continue to plant seeds to have products up until the fall.
We expect around 90,000 tons of products, this is actually slightly down from last season. Some growers have trouble collecting their payments from middlemen and the prices are sometimes below expectations. The main market for our products is Istanbul, followed by Bursa and the Thrace region, that is why we are known as the watermelon supplier for the entire Marmara region, the northwest region of Turkey which also includes Istanbul.”
Source: Memleket