Potato harvest of women from Muş

The women who harvest the potatoes consumed with affection in Muş contribute not only to the household economy but also cover the educational expenses of their children.

Women agricultural workers harvesting potatoes in Muş bring bread to their homes with their hard work. Women agricultural workers harvesting potatoes in the fields of the Yıldız Alparslan Agricultural Enterprise Directorate collect the potatoes, which are harvested with a tractor, by hand, putting them into sacks. Starting their challenging work early in the morning with the first light of the day, the women reach the potato fields from the city center by vehicles after completing their household chores. Stating that the developing agricultural areas in Muş are a source of income for them, Sevgi Subaşı said, "To educate our children and contribute to the family budget, we work in the fields throughout the summer. I wake up early in the morning, do household chores, and then come to the field. Here, we harvest potatoes. My children go to school, and I have to work to educate them and contribute to my husband. Women need to work. Starting in the summer and continuing until the late autumn, we can find work in many cultivation areas, especially sugar beet cultivation, and receive a daily wage of 400 lira. This way, we bring bread to our homes."

Explaining that she comes to harvest potatoes after milking the cows in the early morning, Çiçek Çetin, a mother of 7 children, said, "I come to the field to harvest potatoes. Here, I dig potatoes under the ground until evening. Then, I go back home, milk the cows again, prepare meals for the children, and wash dishes until late at night. As women, we have no night or day. Our work is difficult, but by working, I am educating my children. I work until the late autumn. Our job is quite challenging."