Turkish students pursue olive cultivation internships in Italy

MARDİN

Agriculture students from Türkiye’s southeastern province of Mardin’s Derik district, renowned for its olives, are performing internships in olive farming in Italy.

Within the framework of the EU’s Erasmus+ program, a total of 16 students and four teachers from a vocational high school are acquainting themselves with the principles of olive cultivation and expanding their expertise in Bologna. Additionally, they are participating in cultural excursions to the cities of Florence and Venice.

Fulya Demir, one of the teachers, explained that they traveled to the city with the aim of learning about the olives cultivated there and their cultivation methods, unveiling the group's enthusiasm to master fresh growing techniques.

“In order to improve procedures connected to olive farming, we are keen to combine our understanding of olive farming here,” Demir pointed out.

"We are both receiving education and going on cultural trips with our friends in Italy," stated Leyla Sakin, a 12th grader taking part in the program. “We'll also put into effect the beneficial methods we observe here in Türkiye."

Despite challenges posed by the climate crisis, Türkiye experienced a significant yield of table olives in 2024, with the country’s olive sector benefitting all year round from favorable climatic conditions.

In the 2023–2024 season, Türkiye's table olive exports climbed from $184 million to $210 million, marking both a 14 percent rise and the first time the nation’s exports of table olives have topped $200 million.