The "Van Fruit Growing Project" was launched in 2022 in cooperation with the Governorship of Van, the Metropolitan Municipality and the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, in order to create modern fruit gardens in the city and to protect and disseminate local fruit varieties suitable for the region. Within the scope of the project, 4 million 552 thousand saplings of different types, especially walnut, apple, pear, apricot, plum, sour cherry and cherry, were distributed to farmers with 80 percent grant support. As the gardens created become more productive, it is expected to diversify agricultural production in the city and contribute to the regional economy.
Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Turgay Şişman, who inspected the orchard in Tevekli District of Tuşba district, one of the areas where the project was implemented, said that the project made a significant contribution to the development of fruit growing in the region. Stating that 4 million 552 thousand fruit saplings have been delivered to farmers since 2022, Şişman said:
"We provided fruit saplings to approximately 16 thousand farmers and built garden facilities. The expected total planting area here is over 21 thousand decares. The expected yield is around 55 thousand tons. We have carried out a project that will contribute approximately 2.1 billion liras annually to the country's economy. Next year, we plan to introduce 650 thousand fruit saplings to our farmers, at the same rate of 80 percent. Our work on this continues. 55 thousand people in fruit cultivation in Van "It is a big project that will reach 100,000 tons. We would like to thank those who contributed, especially our Governor Ozan Balcı. Our goal is to reach 5.5 million saplings. With the implementation of both the cold storage and the new vegetable market, factors that will enable the industrial development of fruit growing in the region will come into play. We can have better opportunities in both fruit drying and storage here in the near future."
Emphasizing that they will continue to support the farmers in the future, Şişman stated that the technical staff supports the farmers in matters such as pruning, spraying, harvesting, pesticide use and irrigation.
Noting that they provide grant support of up to 50 to 70 percent to farmers for pressurized and drip irrigation systems in projects carried out within the scope of supporting rural development investments, Şişman said, "This is an issue we care about. Our first goal is to use water economically and to produce optimally and properly. We are trying to create our seeds in our gardens and fields by choosing species that are resistant to climate, drought and the regional climate, both in grains and fruits, two of which we care about. Our work is also in this direction."
Metin Çalışkan, one of the farmers, said that he established an apple orchard on an area of 15 decares with government support. Explaining that the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry teams visit them regularly and inform them about pruning, spraying and irrigation, Çalışkan said:
"We are very pleased. They support us in every way. I planted 1750 saplings here. The place is beautiful and I maintain it well. The apples are beautiful now. We expect the continuation of such projects. I recommend everyone to benefit from this support. It is a good project for our city. We could not afford to plant the saplings with our own means. Our Governor and the Provincial Director of Agriculture supported us. May God bless us."
