After graduating from university, 29-year-old Kamil Gunes, who lives in Sanliurfa's Haliliye neighborhood, followed his aspirations. He now harvests twice annually in a greenhouse he built with government assistance. In 2016, Gunes and his family started producing vegetables in a greenhouse they constructed themselves at the recommendation of family members. He attended Akdeniz University's Kumluca Vocational School to study greenhouse cultivation to advance their knowledge in this area.
Following graduation, Gunes went back to his hometown and registered for the "Controlled Greenhouse Cultivation Project" through the Expert Hands in Rural Development Project of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry after seeing it on social media. Two years ago, Gunes set up his greenhouse on a 1,500-square-meter plot of land in the rural Boydere neighborhood with the help of the state. Gunes said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry helped him obtain a grant of 6.000 USD.
"On 1,500 square meters, we installed a greenhouse. We harvest 10 to 15 tons of peppers a year on average. 10,000 lettuces are planted as a second crop. Every year, we harvest two crops. In October, we plant lettuce, and in January, we start harvesting it. We plant peppers once again to continue our production after that harvest." According to Gunes, the crop produced in a greenhouse yields around three times as much as the crop that is grown outdoors.
Gunes noted that he has studied greenhouse management to deepen his greenhouse farming knowledge and added, "It is simpler to fight off diseases when you are trained. Because you see and know things in advance, it's simpler. Results are obtained when theory and practice are combined. Your work gets easier. I advise all young businessmen to venture into greenhouse production."
Source: AA
