In Turkey, all sweet, juicy oranges are called Washington Oranges. When we received a project proposal to help improve citrus production in Turkey we learned that the Washington Orange is originally from Brazil and produced in California and Florida. But since it was originally imported from the U.S., now all sweet, juicy oranges are simply known as Washington Oranges in Turkey.
HasNa is developing a training program for citrus producers that will take place in Florida and Washington, DC. Because oranges are not actually grown right here in Washington, participants will travel to Florida for technical training on citrus production, pest management, and juice processing. They will also visit farms in Florida where they can observe best practices. During this program, participants will develop action plans based on the knowledge they acquire in the U.S. to implement after returning to Turkey. In Washington, DC they will learn communication, marketing, and management skills.
We are modeling the program after our Pistachio Farmers Training Program 2010. Feedback from the participants showed us that technical trainings for agricultural producers and suppliers have a large impact in the quality of their business and production. This year, one of our alumni approached HasNa with an idea to extend and improve the production and processing of oranges in Mersin, Turkey where producers are interested to learn more about new types of citrus. HasNa is developing a two week program for 15 people including citrus producers, suppliers, and government officials.
By Duygu Soyer
