In Yozgat, lavender cultivation has become the producer's favorite

In Yozgat, Harun Haliloğlu, who planted 15,000 lavender seedlings from abroad on an 8-decare area in 2021 as an alternative to barley, wheat, chickpeas, and green lentils, has begun the lavender harvest.

After working as a teacher for many years in a private educational institution, Haliloğlu shifted to agriculture three years ago, focusing on alternative crops. Previously engaged in cereal cultivation, Haliloğlu chose lavender after researching crops suitable for Yozgat’s climate with high added value. After acquiring knowledge about lavender cultivation, he planted the 15,000 seedlings he brought from abroad on his 8-decare land. Now, two years later, he has begun harvesting and extracting oil from his lavender crops, currently in their third harvest.

Haliloğlu, who cannot export the lavender produced in his hometown, processes the lavender into oil and offers it to the domestic market. He noted the high added value of lavender in various sectors, from health to industry and cosmetics, and expressed a desire to open up external markets for export.

"I Will Obtain 2,000 Kilograms of Product"

Haliloğlu mentioned that due to insufficient rainfall this year, there has been about a 40% loss in lavender production. He said he expects to harvest 2,000 kilograms from the 8-decare area. "We planted the lavenders in the spring of 2021. The first seedlings were brought from abroad, but now they are widespread in Turkey. This is our fourth year and third harvest. This year, we are experiencing about a 40% loss compared to previous years due to the lack of winter precipitation, especially snow. Despite this, lavender is a product I would recommend for Yozgat in terms of producing high added value. We are currently trying to farm with approximately 15,000 seedlings on an 8,000-square-meter area. Our biggest issue is finding a market for the oil we produce; since we cannot find a market, we are currently trying to evaluate it in the domestic market. We urgently request that our international channels be opened promptly by both state and government officials," he said.

"Lavender Is More Profitable Than Cereals"

Haliloğlu highlighted that lavender is about 50% more profitable than cereals. "In our region, fields are usually left fallow every other year. If I had planted wheat or barley, the annual return would have been about 1,000 TL. However, by extracting and selling the lavender oil at its real price, I could potentially reach around 70,000 to 80,000 TL. Even after covering expenses, the annual profit could be around 40,000 to 50,000 TL, which is approximately 50 times more than cereals. Our biggest challenge, as mentioned earlier, is opening international channels, turning lavender into an international product. We are not pursuing a tourist purpose; we are entirely producing medicinal lavender," he said.

"A Labor-Intensive Product"

Haliloğlu described lavender cultivation as labor-intensive and recommended it to anyone willing to work. "Typically, a field like this yields products after three years, but we started harvesting in our second year and are quite satisfied. However, it requires effort. It is a product that anyone who is willing to work can manage. Due to the lack of irrigation, we harvest once a year, but in areas with irrigation, it is possible to harvest twice," he added.