A female entrepreneur operating in the dried fruit sector in Yalova, expanded abroad after the domestic market with 19 varieties, including kiwi and aronia, the city’s geographically registered products.
36-year-old information systems engineer Nazli Uslu, who has been working as an occupational safety specialist for many years, decided to focus on the food sector and conducted research.
Uslu, which started production with the support of the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, dries the fruits obtained from the greenhouses in the region at Ataturk Horticultural Central Research Institute and markets them to the country and Serbia.
Uslu told Anadolu Agency (AA) that she is a mother of 3 girls and that she is interested in this field to ensure that they are fed naturally.
Stating that she decided on the production of dried fruit by doing research for about 2 years with the thought that the need for food would never end, Uslu noted that he received great support from the officials of the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, the first institution she applied to.
Uslu stated that besides drying the fruits, she started to produce her tea and powder.
Stating that she applied to the Rural Development Investments Support Program of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to expand his business and increase his production line, Uslu said, “We started with products with geographical indications in our product range in Yalova. We produce 17 types of products except kiwi and aronia.”
Nazli Uslu stated that she also procures fruit from the farmers in the region and that the annual production is 1000 tons.
Explaining that she started exporting to Serbia, Uslu stated that they are still in talks with some companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, France and England.
Uslu added that the peeling, slicing and drying processes of fruits sometimes take until late at night and that she receives great support from his family in this regard.
Source: AA / Prepared by Irem Yildiz