The last lentil harvest of the year was made in Batman, which ranks third in lentil production in Türkiye after Şanlıurfa and Diyarbakır. While there was a 50 percent increase in productivity compared to last year due to the rain, lentils contributed 1 billion 125 million lira to the city's economy this year.
The last harvest of the year was made in Batman, which ranks third in lentil production after Şanlıurfa and Diyarbakır. Thus, while the farmers' busy work in the fields came to an end, the activities carried out with the combine harvesters were captured by drones. While there was an approximately 50 percent increase in productivity this year due to the rains in winter and spring, lentils contributed 1 billion 125 million lira to the city's economy. Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry, Necdet Tuncer, stated that there was a 50 percent increase in yield compared to last year and said, "We carry out agricultural production in an area of approximately 1 million decares in Batman. We produce lentils in barren lands in approximately 15 percent of this agricultural production. Batman is in third place in lentil production. Our lentil harvest started in the second half of June. We had a very busy and beautiful rainy season this year. We expect abundance in lentils, as in many other agricultural production. We expect high yield and yield. In this respect, we expect a yield of approximately 150 kilograms per decare. As such, we will produce approximately 25 thousand tons of lentils this year compared to last year. This is an extremely satisfactory situation for our farmers. In this respect, lentil production is one of the main products of the agricultural production planning that our ministry has been implementing since 2024. "We consider it as a rotation plant in barren lands in grain production," he said.
'OUR FARMER PRODUCES HIGH QUALITY AND BEAUTIFUL LENTILS'
Stating that lentils are important for the city's economy, Tuncer said, "This year, the price per kilogram is about 45 liras. Agricultural Credit Cooperatives purchase lentils. They have an added value of over 1 billion liras to the economy of our city. Our local lentils in our country are much more qualified lentils compared to world standards. We are the third province with the highest lentil production in Türkiye, after Şanlıurfa and Diyarbakır. This is actually our ancient production. In other words, wheat and lentils have been produced in these lands for thousands of years. Our farmers have great skill in lentil farming. When the heat, sun, climate and water of Mesopotamia come together, we produce such a quality and beautiful product and offer it to the service of the people of our country. The lentils are stored in licensed warehouses and silos and are supplied to the food industry in packages of one and five kilograms. "Lentils are supplied to all parts of our country. This is offered to our people as a basic and important legume plant," he said.
'IT IS A GOOD PRODUCT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR REGION'
Süleyman Demir, a farmer in Oymataş village of the center, stated that lentils are a product that requires labor for 9 months of the year and said:
"We produce dry and irrigated agriculture in an area of 7 thousand decares. We mainly produce lentils in dry agriculture. Today is the harvest day of our lentil production and the last day of our harvest. We expect a good harvest because the year is rainy and abundant. It is a good product for the development of our region. We demand from the authorities to develop this product to a much better level. This profession is our father's profession. Even though we are practicing as a lawyer, we are struggling to continue our father's profession. "Lentils are a product that requires labor for 9 months of the year. The current product must be constantly monitored and the necessary actions must be taken within the framework of this monitoring."