Turkey: Export under ‘Happy Village’ project earns $85M

By Yusuf Sahbaz

IZMIR, Turkey (AA) - With the "Happy Village" project, 3,770 producers from 160 villages exported organic dried and frozen fruits and earned $85 million last year.

25,000 tons of fruits were exported to 50 countries last year, notably to the EU and the U.S., Mehmet Ali Isik, the founder of the project, told Anadolu Agency.

Isik entered the organic food sector in 1991 but when he couldn't meet demands he launched the "Happy Village" project in the same year to train farmers for organic production.

His company Isik Tarim was among the first three companies which exported dried fruits from Turkey last year.

He said: "We make production in 120,000 decare of land, our story which started with 25 tons 27 years ago, reached 25,000 tons now."

"It is not my success, but also our workers', farmers' and customers' success," he added.

Isik stressed that the organic farming is investing in future and saving the country's land. He also said the company used all its earning for new investments.