Aiming to export the produce she started harvesting in the asparagus farming she began 3 years ago in Tire district of Izmir, 39-year-old Sümeyye Kınalı, an Ankara University Agriculture Faculty graduate who spent a long time in the US, decided to cultivate asparagus she encountered there in Tire as well.
Kınalı, along with her partner Ömer Arinç, kicked off production on an 80-acre land in Eskioba Mahallesi three years ago. Producer Sümeyye Kınalı shared that she was born in Ankara, grew up there, and went to the US after graduation.
Kınalı expressed that asparagus is a product both produced and consumed abroad, hence their decision to start production in Tire upon their return to Turkey. She stated that Tire is an ideal location for asparagus in terms of soil structure and climate, adding:
“Asparagus is a vegetable with specific needs while being easy to produce. We don’t harvest asparagus in the first 3 years. We care for it, nourish it, and water it. It has a harvest period of 12 years after the initial 3 years. It is a highly productive and perennial vegetable that does not pose difficulties during production. The most important aspect is that it requires less water compared to other vegetables. It has a broader international market compared to domestic production and consumption. Our main goal is to increase both production and consumption in our country.
We are focusing on the overseas market, with Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and England as our target countries. We are receiving positive feedback due to the high quality of our product. The consumption area of asparagus is very extensive.”