Demirci women harvest 450 tons of çitlembik for industry

In the Demirci district of Manisa, women in approximately 40 rural neighborhoods are harvesting roughly 450 tons of çitlembik (cornelian cherry) annually. The wild-growing fruit serves as a vital source of supplemental income for local families.

After being gathered from steep mountain slopes, the berries are washed in large cauldrons to separate them from leaves and red pulp, then spread out in the sun to dry. While some of the dried fruit is roasted for local consumption as a snack, a significant portion is processed for its oil. This raw material is then distributed to pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies in major cities including Istanbul, Ankara, Gaziantep, and Bursa.

Local residents, such as 78-year-old Zeynep Sönmez, continue the long-standing tradition of harvesting the fruit, a practice passed down through generations to support household budgets.