(Spezial) Die Ernte der geografisch geschützten Artischocke aus Hasanağa ist um die Hälfte gesunken

In Hasanağa, a district of Nilüfer in Bursa, the harvest of geographical indication registered artichokes has come to an end. Due to winter conditions, the harvest started early, and due to a 50% decrease in yield, an artichoke is being sold for 40 Turkish Lira. Artichokes, which are a treasure trove of healing produced with traditional farming methods specific to Hasanağa, stand out from artichokes in other regions in terms of size and taste, besides the factors such as soil, water, and climate unique to Hasanağa. Artichokes cultivated in approximately 150-200 acres in Hasanağa are sold to different regions of Turkey. While an average of 6 artichokes are obtained from one root, this year it has decreased to 3. After the artichokes are harvested from the field, the most challenging stage of peeling is carried out, and then they are vacuum-packed for sale. This year, due to the lack of a full winter experience, the artichoke harvest started early and is now coming to an end. Hasanağa Neighborhood Headman Rüstem Kartoğlu stated, ‘Due to the weather conditions, our artichoke harvest started early. Then the weather got colder, but the artichoke growth slowed down. This also caused a decrease in yield. When artichokes were first introduced, they were sold for 50 Turkish Lira, but now they are sold between 35-40 Turkish Lira. Artichokes that were sold for 20 Turkish Lira last year reached 50 Turkish Lira. The prices are normal for us. It only saved us. Even at 40 Turkish Lira, our profit is low. Our artichokes are sold as Hasanağa even in Istanbul. These fields used to be full of artichokes, but the production has decreased because there are no young people to work. We need to increase our production.’ Artichoke producer Ömer Çinkaya stated that under normal conditions, an artichoke yields 6 pieces, but this year they only got 3 pieces per root. He said, ‘The yield has halved this year. The cost of one root reached 40 Turkish Lira for us. In artichokes that give a high number of pieces, more than 20 can be obtained from one root. The decrease in yield reflected in the prices. Last year, I sold artichokes worth 260,000 Turkish Lira in this field. This year, I only reached 110,000 Turkish Lira. There are even people coming from many parts of Turkey and even from other countries to buy artichokes.’ Adding that artichokes are liver-friendly, Çinkaya said, ‘We know that it is good for liver fattening and skin diseases. I am not a doctor in this field. I am just conveying what I have heard. The tea made from this is very good. This tea is also very beneficial. Our artichoke received geographical indication two years ago. After this registration, my sales were positively affected. Nilüfer Municipality organized a festival. 4-5 thousand people came here for this festival and bought artichokes.’ Hasan Cevali, who peels 2,000-2,500 artichokes a day, emphasized that Hasanağa artichokes are easier to peel compared to other types.