Opening of a fruit and vegetable drying plant established in Yeşilyurt, Lefke district.

Today, the opening ceremony of a fruit and vegetable drying enterprise established in Yeşilyurt, Lefke district, took place.

The facility, established under the Women's Cooperative for Rural Development (4K KOOP), the country's first women's cooperative, with support from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), will dry and package fruits such as tangerines, oranges, strawberries and bananas. as a healthy snack without the use of additives.

The facility will also dry traditional products such as tarhana, molekhiya and noodles. The facility, costing 45 thousand euros, will provide electricity from a solar system.

This is the first fruit and vegetable drying enterprise in Northern Cyprus.

At the opening of the production, those present drew attention to the goals of replacing dried substitute products with domestic products and entering domestic and international markets. In addition to fruits such as tangerines, oranges, strawberries and bananas, traditional products such as tarhana will be produced and dried on site.

At the opening, the Governor of Lefke District, Aziz Kaya, stated that the Lefke region is the most important production region of Northern Cyprus and that production does not stop even in the worst conditions.

He stated that the variety of foods in Lefke has increased over the years and that tropical foods have also been grown in the region in recent times.
It is very important to grow the necessary fresh fruits and vegetables in the country, deliver these products to larger value-added markets and involve women in production.

The products that will be produced at this enterprise can replace unhealthy snacks, especially those consumed by children. The goal is that dried fruits will quickly take their place in school canteens and markets.