High profits bloom from small plots as salep prices soar in Turkey

In the Kavak district of Samsun, Turkey, salep cultivation is proving to be a lucrative venture for local producers. Harvest events at the Salep Application Center in Çakallı Mahallesi highlight the significant income potential of this plant, with dry salep prices soaring to as high as 12,000 Turkish Lira per kilogram.

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Currently, we have expanded to 17 acres with sub-producers. We also buy salep from them, boil it, dry it, and turn it into powder. We sell it. We send it to every part of Turkey. The interest is very high.

Producers like Murat Kayacı have expanded their operations over nine years, now cultivating 17 acres and processing salep for sale across Turkey. Ramazan Aktaş, another producer, noted the dramatic price increase from last year, anticipating dry salep to reach 12,000 TL this season. He stressed the importance of diligent care and effort in cultivation, stating, "There is money in this business." Aktaş also emphasized that while money is a tool, it should not be the sole objective.

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Last year, the dry product ranged between 2,000 and 8,000 TL, while this year, ice cream makers say 1 kilogram of dry salep will go up to 12,000 TL. Its added value increases every year. We send it not only to Samsun but to all 81 provinces of Turkey. Salep is a plant that needs to be monitored. If weeds surround the salep, people think they couldn't grow salep. Monitoring and effort are important in this business. There is money in this business. Money should be a tool, not the goal.

Samsun's Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry, Kemal Yılmaz, reported that out of 106 decares dedicated to salep production in the province, 88 are used for propagation. This resulted in 44 tons of salep for propagation and 11 tons for food consumption from 18 decares. In 2025, a total of 55 tons of salep were produced. Yılmaz highlighted salep's value for generating high income from small land areas.

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Salep production is an extremely important plant in terms of generating high income in small areas.

Kavak District Governor Taha Genç outlined plans to support the industry further. A project submitted to DOKAP aims to secure approximately 6 million Turkish Lira in grant and seedling support for producers. Genç believes that while 10 decares are typically needed for efficient production, a cooperative model could enable cultivation on much smaller, even square-meter-sized plots. This approach would allow producers to add value and sell their products effectively through the cooperative structure.

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Our producers can achieve production even on very small areas, even on a square meter scale, if we realize this through a cooperative. Our producers can thus add value through the cooperative and carry out its sale.