A first for the Çarşamba Plain: They said it would not grow here, but she sparked a tropical revolution in the Black Sea

Neşe Özbek began harvesting dragon fruit in Çarşamba after many people told her the tropical fruit would never grow there. Her greenhouse has now become the first and only dragon-fruit operation in the district.

Özbek grows the fruit in a 480-square-meter greenhouse in the Yukarı Donurlu neighborhood. She discovered dragon fruit online, researched its health benefits and then decided to try producing it in Çarşamba, where it had not previously been cultivated.

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After extensive research, we believed it could be grown in Çarşamba and planted our seedlings in May 2022. We now have 100 posts and 400 seedlings in our 480-square-meter greenhouse.

“After extensive research, we believed it could be grown in Çarşamba and planted our seedlings in May 2022,” Özbek said. The greenhouse now contains 100 posts and 400 seedlings. Production has increased each year, and she expects more than 1 ton this season. Once the plants reach full production, she aims to harvest about 2 tons annually.

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We did not give up, and we have begun to receive the reward for our efforts.

The harvest began in the first week of August and will continue periodically until the New Year. The fruit currently sells for 250 Turkish liras per kilogram. Özbek said demand has been strong and that she is pleased with the results, especially after early criticism from people who said she was wasting money.

“We did not give up, and we have begun to receive the reward for our efforts,” she said. “I am happy because I succeeded in the work I dreamed of.”

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I am happy because I succeeded in the work I dreamed of.