Canola fields in Turkey’s northwest turn yellow

TEKİRDAĞ

With the beginning of the summer season, canola fields spread across an area of 118,000 decares in the northwestern province of Tekirdağ have turned into vibrant hues of yellow with the blooming of flowers.

Canola is a crop with plants from 1 to 1.5 meters tall that produce pods from which seeds are harvested and crushed to release canola oil.

Farmers in Tekirdağ grow canola crops as an alternative to sunflowers.

“Tekirdağ is the first province that produces the most canola crops in the Thrace region,” Oktay Öcal, the provincial agriculture and forestry head, told the state-run Anadolu Agency on April 29.

Stating that the number of farmers cultivating canola is increasing day by day, Öcal said: “Some 38,000 tons of canola were produced in around 114,000 hectares of land. This year we expect a harvest of 40,000 tons of canola from some 118,000 hectares of land.”

Canola seeds contain about 45 percent oil. This large percentage of oil comes in a small package; canola seeds are similar in size to poppy seeds, though brownish-black in color.

“This year, there was enough precipitation for a healthy harvest. We hope that local farmers will have big smiles on their faces during harvest time,” he said.

He also reminded the beauty these canola fields add to the environment with “their fantastic yellow colors.”

“People driving by, stop their cars, flock to the canola fields and take pictures,” he noted.