A legendary taste since 1886: fresh Figani Efendi plums hit the market, followed a month later by dried fruit

In Demirci, the harvest of Figani Efendi plums begins with fresh green fruit and continues about a month later with the sale of the remaining crop as sun-dried snacks. The harvest, which started in the final days of August, runs through the end of September.

The plum has been grown in the Manisa district since 1886, when a single sapling was brought from the Peloponnese. Today, about 12,000 Figani Efendi plum trees produce an average of 200 tons a year. Farmers send the fruit fresh and dried to Ankara, Köprübaşı, Salihli and the surrounding Manisa area.

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We send Figani Efendi plums, both fresh and dried, to Ankara, Köprübaşı, Salihli and the Manisa area. I have grown this product since childhood. I sent saplings to other regions for trial, but they could not achieve the yield and quality we have here.

Its distinct aroma, together with the soil and climate of Demirci, sets the product apart. The Turkish Patent and Trademark Office registered the plum as a geographical indication in 2024. Local residents regard the sun-dried fruit as a natural product with health benefits.

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First I collect and sell the fresh green plums. About a month later, I wash, clean and dry the rest in the sun before selling them.

Ramazan Akın, a farmer who has worked the land for 55 years, said attempts to grow the plum elsewhere had not produced the same yield or quality. He said he had sent saplings to other regions for trial, but they could not match the results in Demirci.

Akın expects to harvest two tons from his own orchard this year. He said people with digestive and intestinal problems, including some referred by hospitals, show particular interest in the fruit.

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There are too many qualities of this plum to list. People with digestive and intestinal problems, including those referred by hospitals, come here in large numbers.