Not Every Aronia Is Aronia

Aronia Cultivation is Rising in Türkiye. Aronia, the New Star of Agriculture, is Becoming Popular in Turkey. “Not Every Aronia Is an Aronia”

With the growing healthy lifestyle trend every year, new products are being introduced to our lives. Aronia, America’s super fruit, entered our lives in 2012 as a source of healing, and its consumption is increasing every year. With this increase in consumption, the number of people interested in cultivating aronia, a fruit with a high return on investment, is also increasing. Agronomist Aylin Kalafatoğlu, a female entrepreneur who first introduced aronia to Turkey and pioneered its cultivation, is considered one of the world’s leading experts on aronia. With Dr. Aronia, she establishes gardens throughout Turkey and abroad in the Turkic Republics, as well as in Bulgaria and Greece in Europe. Kalafatoğlu, who stated that while the name of the aronia was unknown, it is currently cultivated on an average of 250 decares in almost every province, said, “We are receiving high demand, especially from provinces like Çanakkale, Burdur, Bursa, Yalova, Edirne, Manisa, Sivas, Samsun, Denizli, Erzurum, Kırklareli, and Kayseri.” Kalafatoğlu also highlighted disinformation in the sector and the errors and fraud committed online.

With the emergence of the pandemic and the constant introduction of new viruses into our lives, the importance of a healthy diet has also increased. Aronia, which has significant health benefits and is being included in the scientific studies, recommendations, and prescriptions of doctors, dietitians, and phytotherapy specialists as a healing resource, has increased its consumption, and its production has also become a topic of interest among farmers.

Dr. Aronia Founder Aylin Kalafatoğlu said, “When we brought the first aronia saplings to Turkey, the name of the aronia was unknown. It is now cultivated throughout Turkey and, because it is a highly recyclable fruit, attracts great interest from farmers. Aronia cultivation is now possible on an average of 250 decares in almost every province. We started with approximately 100 decares, and now we cultivate approximately 2000 decares with the farmers who choose us, and we provide 360-degree training and consultancy services to 40 of our farmers. While every region of Turkey offers suitable conditions for aronia garden establishment, we primarily receive requests from provinces such as Çanakkale, Edirne, Erzurum, Samsun, Sivas, Burdur, Kayseri, Denizli, Manisa, Yalova, Kırklareli, and Muğla. Garden establishment is the first fundamental step in our business in terms of expertise. Soil analysis is critical here. In suitable soil, we can also produce world-class fruit.” This is made possible with the knowledge and experience we have. After the soil analysis, we thoroughly analyze our farmers. We’re talking about a fruit with a lifespan of 25 years. We also ensure that our farmers are aware and committed to protecting the soil from damage. We consider factors such as determining the number of saplings, soil preparation, irrigation system conditions, climatic conditions, geographic location, meteorological data, rainfall, wind and humidity levels, and even the location and availability of workers. By evaluating all this information, our expert team ensures the correct, effective, and productive garden establishment. At Dr. Aronia, we prefer organically certified 3-year-old Extra Plus saplings with a European Union passport, the first and only in Turkey, for aronia garden establishment.

Kalafatoğlu also highlighted the current misinformation, errors, and fraud in the sector, saying, “Many garden owners, without conducting soil analysis or obtaining accurate information, purchase seedlings that aren’t even real saplings and establish their gardens based on hearsay. It’s distressing to encounter seedlings sold online that sometimes even have unknown varieties. This not only causes garden owners time, effort, and financial losses, but also damages credibility within the sector. Orchard owners seeking information from reliable sources and consulting with experts can help alleviate these problems. Seedling producers should provide customers with clear and accurate information and strive to produce high-quality seedlings with distinct varieties. This will reduce misinformation in the sector and contribute to garden owners achieving more successful results. It’s also important to increase general awareness by encouraging information sharing among stakeholders in the sector.”

Dr. Aronia not only sells aronia saplings, but also establishes a system for aronia cultivation by evaluating all the services needed by investor farmers under the project name. This system includes services such as preparation stages before garden establishment, sapling supply, mechanized planting, fertilizer supply tailored to the aronia plant’s needs, training, consulting, sales and marketing support, product purchasing, branding, contract manufacturing, and more.

Source: https://eczacininsesi.com/cepecevre/her-aronya-aronya-degildir.html