Muğla Lavanta Festival Marks Start of Koku Vadisi Harvest

The Muğla Metropolitan Municipality organised a Lavender Festival (Lavanta Şenliği) in the Yerkesik Yeniköy neighbourhood of Menteşe district, launching the harvest phase of the Koku Vadisi Project. The event, attended by the Coastal Municipalities Union, Mayor Ahmet Aras and hundreds of residents, showcased lavender grown by women members of the S.S. Yerkesik Agricultural Development Cooperative.

Lavender harvested at the festival is processed in a municipal distillation facility into essential oil, soap, cologne, shampoo and other value‑added products, which are distributed to consumers through the MELSA platform. Municipal Agricultural Services Director Buket Kallem noted that about 220,000 seedlings have been planted across 12 neighbourhoods, aiming to boost plant production, rural development and the market for medicinal aromatic plants. Mayor Ahmet Aras emphasized that “the producing farmer is the lifeblood of the country” and pledged continued support for local producers.