In this episode, the AgroTroia "Success in Agriculture" program visited the village of Kovanlık in Döşemealtı, Antalya, the grove of retired teacher and olive producer Uncle Mehmet. In the shoot accompanied by host Cemil Bektaş, Umut Dönmez from AgroTroia, Antalya regional dealer and agricultural engineer Mustafa Kemal Özen, and producer Ahmet Ece came together. Through the climate-related damage experienced across Turkey this year and the olive nutrition program, they discussed the secret of groves that still produced despite all the adversities.
Climate Challenges and the State of Olives in Antalya
At the opening of the program, attention was drawn to the heavy crop losses experienced in fruit growing nationwide this season; cold, frost, extreme heat, and drought caused serious declines in most crops. It was emphasized that the olive crop in the Antalya region had decreased to almost nothing. Umut Dönmez of AgroTroia explained that there is no product in the world that is fully effective against frost, and that what really needs to be done is to make the plant resilient through regular and correct nutrition. Why some groves could still produce even under these harsh conditions was the main question of the episode.
Resistance to Peacock Spot
One of the most challenging problems of olive cultivation in the Antalya region is peacock spot disease. Regional dealer Mustafa Kemal Özen said that they have observed trees in groves where AgroTroia products are used regularly gaining noticeable resistance to diseases and pests. He reported that feedback from producers points to increased yield and quality, improved plant health, and reduced disease pressure. He stated that the producer remains loyal to the product because he has seen this result for himself.
Uncle Mehmet's Olive Journey
82-year-old retired teacher Uncle Mehmet explained that in 2006, while looking for a pursuit for himself, he chose olives. He said he consulted many agronomists in Döşemealtı and Korkuteli, but from most of them he received only the answer "just trust us, apply whatever we give you." He, however, wanted to learn why each product was given, for what purpose, and what effect it would have on the tree, the leaf, and the flower. He stated that after meeting the AgroTroia team in 2020, the approach changed; his grove was inspected and assessed on site. The 64-year-old old trees in his grove had been planted 8.5 meters apart; by filling the gaps with new saplings, he has today reached 1,045 trees on roughly 33.5 decares. About 800 of these have come into production.
The Importance of Correct Nutrition and Dealer Support
Uncle Mehmet said that after meeting AgroTroia, when he applied fertilizers and foliar fertilizers on time, many diseases regressed on their own, and with spraying done at certain periods, disease pressure largely ended. Regional dealer Mustafa Kemal Özen emphasized that AgroTroia applies a fixed price policy across Turkey; so that every farmer can access the product on equal terms, dealers are not allowed to sell the product at different prices. It was stated that the basic expectation is for the dealer to stand behind the product by providing technical support in the field, not just to sell. Ahmet Ece, who has used the products for many years, also expressed that he is satisfied with his grove and the health of his trees and will continue to use them.
Featured AgroTroia products in this episode
- Copperas — stood out as the most in-demand, copper-sourced product in the region, one to which producers remain loyal.
For Uncle Mehmet, this pursuit has turned into a matter of proof: with a 2028 target, he wants to show in his own village that, thanks to correct nutrition and care, one or even two families can make a living from his 1,045-tree grove, and that the olive is both a sacred and a productive tree. His target is about 8 tons of olive oil. The program team promised to film the harvest and the weigh-in on site once this goal is reached. This story of labor and dedication in Döşemealtı, Antalya, was reflected on screen as a concrete example of how produce can be obtained even under difficult conditions with a correct nutrition program.
Source: AgroTroia – "Success in Agriculture" program, sponsored by AgroTroia.