Great support for sesame producers in Balıkesir

Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality has started purchasing sesame from producers in Sındırgı as part of the Producer Support Model Project. The Mayor of the Metropolitan Municipality, Ahmet Akın, stated that they will purchase sesame at a price of 120 TL per kilogram.

After purchasing and exporting Gömeç okra as chips to support production and preserve the added value of products, the Metropolitan Municipality has now initiated sesame purchases in Sındırgı. Initially, farmers from the neighborhoods where sesame cultivation is dense, such as Pürsünler, Taşköy, Umurlar, Düğüncüler, Çamalanı, Mumcu, Kocabey, İzzettin, and Çelebiler, will be prioritized. Approximately 40 tons of sesame produced in an area of 4,000 decares will be purchased in collaboration with the Rural Services Department of the Metropolitan Municipality and Balıkesir Agricultural Products Inc. (BATAŞ). The purchased sesame will be evaluated as tahini and sesame oil.

The sesame purchasing ceremony held in the square of Pürsünler Neighborhood was attended by Balıkesir Metropolitan Mayor Ahmet Akın, Sındırgı Mayor Serkan Sak, deputy secretaries general of the Metropolitan Municipality, department heads, provincial and district council members, sesame producers, and many village residents. Mayor Akın, who participated in the sesame harvest in the field first, stated that sesame production requires great effort and that they are aware of this effort, emphasizing that they will always stand by the producers and continue to do so. After the harvest in the field was completed, Akın arrived at the ceremony area with the tractor he used. He announced that they would buy sesame from producers at 120 TL while the market price is 95 TL, stating that this is the first time the Metropolitan Municipality has made such a purchase. Mayor Akın, who received intense interest from village residents, also tasted the herbal pastry that was baked in the village oven and offered to him by the women.

“I claim that our sesame is both organic and the best in the world”

Stating that sesame is an important agricultural product, Mayor Akın said, “While 20-30 thousand tons of sesame are produced annually in Turkey, we imported exactly 215 tons of sesame in 2023. We have the potential to reverse this situation. We reject being an import market as Balıkesir. Contract farming has started in a planned manner in Balıkesir. Sesame production is a difficult task, and there is a lot of effort involved. We need to eliminate this problem and produce more. This is a cultural heritage. I claim that our sesame is both organic and the best in the world. For this reason, we are realizing the sesame purchase we planned in cooperation with our Rural Services Department and Balıkesir Agricultural Products Inc. for the first time this year,” he said.

“We will buy sesame worth 95 TL for 120 TL”

Mayor Akın stated, “The market value is approximately 95 TL. We are purchasing this sesame for 120 TL. May it be beneficial for all sesame producers. We are not only buying but also transforming the sesame we purchase from you into value-added products such as tahini and sesame oil; we will sell these. In the end, both our producers and our Balıkesir will benefit.”

“The villager is the master of the nation”

Mayor Akın also mentioned that they have implemented new services for women who work without social security and insurance, stating that mothers, sisters, and girls working in the fields are entrusted to them. Reminding of Ulu Önder Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s words, “The villager is the master of the nation,” Akın stated that they act according to this principle, saying, “At this point, our farmers and villagers are experiencing difficulties due to both high input costs and overlapping economic activities. We are working to solve and overcome these difficulties.”

Emphasizing that increasing agricultural supports and implementing new projects aimed at agriculture is primarily to ensure that citizens do not leave their lands and villages, Akın stated that they are working to make the produced products high value-added in a planned and programmed manner. He mentioned that they have achieved a first in Turkey by purchasing okra at a price of 90 TL, which was not bought at 60 TL, and sold it in America. Akın noted that the same situation applies to both sesame and regional products, stating, “Farmers are no longer alone in Balıkesir. Farmers will win in Balıkesir. It is clear and evident. You will see how important sesame is for Balıkesir in the history of Balıkesir. Unfortunately, there is a production that decreases day by day. It is not a small production either. More than half of the sesame produced in Balıkesir is produced in Sındırgı. We are working scientifically to reduce input costs and increase the added value of this work, and our Planning and Development Agency, which we have implemented regarding this, is also working in detail. I also thank them for their efforts. We will not look back, we will look ahead.”

Good news for Balıkesir

Mayor Akın stated that the Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality will purchase products produced by women’s cooperatives, saying, “We are bringing sales opportunities for these to the routes of Balıkesir, Izmir, Istanbul, and all major cities. We are implementing the Balıkesir stop. Mothers are producing very important products. These need to be purchased. We have many products with geographical indications. Some of these need to be registered by the European Union as well. There are all kinds of production. There are the world’s highest quality olives, olive oil, and award-winning honey. Our debt as the children of this country is to give this country its due. The Balıkesir farmer will not lose out. Balıkesir will be one that exports, not imports. We will produce. What did Ecevit say? Remember: ‘The land belongs to the producer, the water to the user.’ Now is the time to realize this,” he said.

Stating that the nation has entrusted them with authority and responsibility, Akın continued his speech as follows: “Trust should not be betrayed. As Atatürk said, ‘The one who performs his duty best loves his homeland the most.’ We have the fear of God in our hearts. Taking away the rights of the nation is the greatest betrayal. In Balıkesir, the rights of the people will not be violated, and they will not be.”

Sındırgı Mayor Serkan Sak stated that they laid the foundation of all the services that have not been done until today in Sındırgı with Mayor Ahmet Akın, saying, “Sındırgı is the first in sesame production in Balıkesir. It is a district that has reached a certain level in Turkey. Thanks to our mayor, we have rescued our farmers from a difficult situation. Our mayor wanted to make a purchase. Hopefully, we will carry out this purchase with you shortly. I thank our mayor very much.”

Pürsünler Neighborhood Muhtar Mustafa Tekel presented flowers to Mayor Akın on stage, thanking him for his support to farmers.