Agriculture in this village is still done with a plow.

In the Hizan district of Bitlis, some citizens still plow their fields on steep slopes where tractors cannot enter, using a wooden plow. Despite the advancing technology and the decreasing need for human labor, the wooden plow remains an indispensable farming tool for farmers in the rural areas with rugged terrain. To cultivate the steep agricultural lands of Erencik village in Hizan district, the wooden plow pulled by oxen is still a favorite among the citizens. Farmers who want to produce on steep lands are using oxen to work the soil in areas where motorized vehicles become ineffective. Farming on the steep and uneven lands of Erencik village is very challenging. The story of how these lands are prepared for production with immense effort and hardship surprises everyone. In the last week of autumn, oxen are being prepared for plowing dozens of acres of land. As the farming season approaches, the animals are fed with barley to strengthen them. While very few people can farm in the villages, citizens who want to get yield from the steep lands are practically queuing to plow their gardens. In mountainous areas where motorized farming tools cannot be utilized, oxen remain among the most valuable assets of farmers, just as they were centuries ago.

“We learned this from our ancestors”
Ismet Zorlu, stating that they farm with the wooden plow inherited from their ancestors because their village’s land is both small and rugged, said, “Our land is both narrow and uneven, so we work with oxen. This has come down from our ancestors, and we continue this way. Our village is mountainous, tractors cannot work here. We have gotten used to oxen and continue like that.”