The female farmer doubled her livestock with government support

The project named 'I Have Plenty of Reasons to Live in My Village,' implemented to enhance small-scale livestock farming in Erzincan, has led to a doubling of livestock by a supported female entrepreneur.

Initiated under the auspices of the Erzincan Governorate with the aim of increasing the capacities of small-scale enterprises and contributing to the development of local breeds for sheep farming, which is suitable for Erzincan's overall sheep breeding structure, the project continues to grow, particularly in the number of young and female farmers. Within the framework of the project, Hilal Kalkan, a 40-year-old mother of four, started her livestock business by acquiring 100 sheep and managed to increase the number to 200 within two years.

Since October 2020 until now, within the total scope of the project, a total of 14,186 small livestock animals have been supported through payments by the relevant bank for 162 enterprises across Erzincan. Specifically, in the central district, 34 enterprises received support for 3,700 animals; in Çayırlı, 17 enterprises received support for 1,650 animals; in İliç, 1 enterprise received support for 80 animals; in Kemah, 28 enterprises received support for 2,643 animals; in Otlukbeli, 5 enterprises received support for 500 animals; in Refahiye, 21 enterprises received support for 2,030 animals; in Tercan, 28 enterprises received support for 2,639 animals; in Üzümlü, 28 enterprises received support for 2,286 animals; and in Kemaliye, 6 enterprises received support for 558 animals. Since the start of the project in October 2020, a total of 31.4 million TL in credit has been utilized for 17,848 small livestock animals.

"May Allah be pleased with our government; I will continue this profession until the age of 60."

Hilal Kalkan, a 40-year-old mother of four who started livestock farming by acquiring 100 sheep in the village of Dereyurt under the "I Have Plenty of Reasons to Live in My Village" project in 2021, expressed that she has increased her livestock and plans to continue this profession for many years. She stated, "In 2021, we had no sheep at all. Thanks to this project, we bought 100 sheep, and as it became 200-250, we continued with this business. May Allah be pleased with our government. When I first started, I knew nothing; my husband and I went to the sheep, took them to pasture, and even milked them. Now we do all of it. We always expect the support of our government. Our government already provides us with support. We want to continue this business. Our job is difficult. We don't complain about rain, mud, as you can see, it's raining outside, but we are taking our animals out to water. Like any job, this one has its difficulties, but we do it with love. We have gotten used to this work. We do this job because our children, and we don't have any other source of livelihood. I am 40 years old. God willing, I plan to continue this work until I am 50 or 60 years old."

"The number of small livestock animals in Erzincan increased by 10 percent."

Serkan Kütük, the Deputy Director of Agriculture and Forestry in Erzincan, stated that thanks to the project, the number of small livestock animals in the province has increased by 10 percent. He said, "With the initiation of the 'I Have Plenty of Reasons to Live in My Village' project in Erzincan in October 2020, our farmers, especially new producers, young, and female farmers, have been increasing. The credit limit for these producers in Erzincan has been increased from 200,000 to 400,000 Turkish liras. So far, 183 people in Erzincan have benefited from the project, and a cash payment of 31.4 million Turkish liras has been made. In this context, Erzincan farmers, especially small livestock breeders, are continuing to grow. If we think of it like an avalanche, a small snowflake has grown into an avalanche. In terms of the number of animals in Erzincan, there has been a 10 percent increase."