BEBKA provided support to women, and as a result, they doubled both employment and turnover.

Supported by the Bursa Eskişehir Bilecik Development Agency (BEBKA), the Oylat Boğazı Kadınları Tarımsal Kalkınma Kooperatifi achieved the turnover of 2023 in the first 6 months of 2024. The women’s agricultural development cooperative, producing region-specific products such as organic paste, jam, cranberry juice, and noodles, provides employment to 86 women from 6 villages. BEBKA Deputy Secretary General Sabri Bayram stated, ‘It truly makes us very happy as BEBKA to see that the support we provide is sustainable.’
Established in 2015 within the scope of the Rural Development Financial Support Program of the Bursa Eskişehir Bilecik Development Agency (BEBKA), the Oylat Boğazı Kadınları Tarımsal Kalkınma Kooperatifi multiplied its employment and turnover thanks to the support it received. Traditional flavors such as paste, noodles, tarhana, and jam under the Oylat Çiftlik brand meet organic tables through e-commerce websites and chain store shelves.
Since 2016, the Oylat Çiftlik, which has been actively producing, has been supported twice by BEBKA for the establishment phase and capacity increase. The projects, totaling 9 million Turkish Lira with 2024 prices, bore fruit. Making correct investments after the financial support, the cooperative significantly increased its capacity under the principle of sustainability. Producing 3 tons of paste, 2 tons of cranberry juice, and 500 kilograms of jam in 2023, Oylat Çiftlik reached the turnover it achieved in 2023 in the first 6 months of 2024. Expressing satisfaction with the growth of the cooperative, Bursa Eskişehir Bilecik Development Agency Deputy Secretary General Sabri Bayram stated, ‘Seeing that the support we provide is sustainable as BEBKA truly makes us very happy.’
‘We have dreams, our goals are big’
President of the Oylat Boğazı Kadınları Tarımsal Kalkınma Kooperatifi, Nurcan Yılmaz, expressed that they are progressing steadily towards their targeted levels. She stated, ‘We produce local food. We produce products such as tarhana, paste, jam, made with traditional methods, without preservatives and colorants. We were established in 2015 as a social development project. Our cooperative consists of women from 6 different villages. This cooperative was a project of the District Governorship. BEBKA provided financial support for the establishment of the cooperative. BEBKA provided the financial support for the manufacturing buildings, restoration buildings, and technical facilities we use inside. Our project, which we started in 2015, was completed in 2016, and we started production. As our production increased, we applied to BEBKA again to expand our capacity. We received financial support for machines such as semi-automatic lid closing machine and fruit-vegetable cutting machine between 2022-2023. Our cooperative consists entirely of female members. There are 86 women working in our cooperative. Our women work here on a voluntary basis. They receive their daily wages. Since the summer months are busier, our women work more during that period. Due to the efforts of our cooperative member women, we have a variety of products. We were dreaming of going even further. Of course, we saw that this could be a reality, not just a dream. We have dreams. Our goals are still big. We are happy because we have realized our dreams step by step. Our women and mothers are very skillful. They really make beautiful products. Last year, we increased our capacity to be able to offer beautiful products to more people. Thanks to the support we received from BEBKA, our capacity has increased by 2-3 times compared to last year. We sell our products to many chain stores. Our products are available in many international and local markets in Turkey. Our cooperative has an internet website named Oylat Çiftlik. We have a shop in terms of e-commerce. While our products can be found directly in any market, if they want to reach our products directly, they can visit our website.’
Total of 9 million Turkish Lira support from BEBKA
Expressing satisfaction with the work done after the support provided by BEBKA, Bursa Eskişehir Bilecik Development Agency Deputy Secretary General Sabri Bayram stated, ‘As the Bursa Eskişehir Bilecik Development Agency (BEBKA), we provided support to the project with 2 different financial support programs. These were rural development financial support programs. In the first project, we provided the necessary physical infrastructure for the establishment of the cooperative. In the second project, the existing capacity of the cooperative was increased. We see that BEBKA’s contribution in these two projects amounts to a total of 6.5 million Turkish Lira. The total cost of the project was 9 million Turkish Lira. Seeing that the support we provide is sustainable truly makes us very happy as BEBKA. Looking at the production values, we see that in 2023, there was production of 3 tons of paste, 2 tons of cranberry juice, and 500 kilograms of jam. In addition to these products, we see that products such as noodles and tarhana are also produced. Looking at the income figures, we see that the turnover achieved in 2023 was reached in the first 6 months of 2024.’
‘The theme of 2024 is women entrepreneurship and women employment’
Stating that the Ministry of Industry and Technology declared 2024 as the theme of ‘increasing women entrepreneurship and women employment’ regarding the supports provided by the agency, Bayram continued his words as follows: ‘As all development agencies, we support this theme with project supports and activities in terms of increasing both women entrepreneurship and women employment. In addition, under the auspices of our President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s wife Mrs. Emine Erdoğan, and under the coordination of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, the ‘Anadoludakiler’ project is being carried out. Thanks to this project, the local riches of Anatolia are promoted on a digital platform. In order to support this project, a project call for proposals for the ‘Anadoludakiler’ Social Development Support Program has been announced throughout the country. With this call, we will support projects aimed at further developing and promoting local products.’