Tunç Soyer, Called Farmers From Karakılçık Wheat Field

While the fight against the coronavirus epidemic continues, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyercalled out to the farmers from the karakılçık wheat field in Menemen, where he had sprinkled the seeds of ancestry with his own hands, “As long as you continue to produce”. Tunç Soyer "Nowadays, everyone understands the value of our white-coated health workers and our farmers with muddy feet," he said.

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, who set out with the aim of disseminating Atalık Karakılçık wheat seeds and supporting producers Tunç Soyercalled to the farmers in the karakılçık wheat field that reached his waist all day long in Menemen, where he sprinkled the seeds with his own hands: “As long as you continue to produce,” he said. Minister Tunç Soyer Drawing attention to the importance of production within the scope of combating the coronavirus epidemic, he said that wheat is the most needed product during the epidemic days and that the demand for flour made from barley wheat has increased.

Soyer said: “This crisis will pass somehow, but will we eat stones after the crisis is over? What will we eat? If the manufacturer does not produce, if this production does not continue, very dark days are waiting for us. Nowadays, everybody understood the value of our farmers with white apron, muddy feet and calluses. So just keep producing. We will continue to give you maximum support. ”

Within the scope of the project to expand the ancestral seed wheat that supports wheat producers, this year 300 wheat is grown in Menemen, 100 in Tire and 100 acres in Ödemiş. After the harvest, charcoal wheat will be taken from the producers, some of which will be stored as seeds, flour will be obtained from the rest, then bread will be delivered to the public. In Seferihisar, this type of wheat has been produced on an area of ​​300 decares for eight years.

Karakılçık Returned to the Plains of İzmir

Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç SoyerThe project of disseminating the ancestral seed karakılçık wheat from Seferihisar, initiated by .

The first ancestral seeds were planted on 300 acres of land in Menemen in November. Tunç Soyer had sprinkled. At that ceremony, “Imported seeds that invade our lands, spoil our health and pollute our lives are starting to take the place of local seeds of Anatolia again. An ancestral seed, karakılçık wheat, is once again beginning to be produced on a large scale to feed our city and country.”

The Story of Karakılçık Wheat

Seferihisar Municipality decided to organize Seed Exchange Festival in 2011 for the spread of domestic seeds. Municipal employees traveled from village to village and searched for local seeds that were forbidden to sell. A small amount of “Topan karakılçık” wheat was found in an old farmer in Gödence village. Based on the will of Can Yücel, “Can Yücel Seed Center” was established in Seferihisar. At this center, four years of effort was made to reproduce the wheat of Karakilık. The results were obtained in 2016 and bread was produced with the techniques of a hundred years ago. This bread has become a highly sought-after variety, both in the municipal markets and on the website of the women's cooperative. The municipality also distributed seeds to the farmers free of charge and guaranteed double the price of the base price to be announced by the government. A handful of genetically unchanged ancestor seeds wheat from a peasant's warehouse thus became a commercial value.