Polatlı farmers plant sunflowers as second crop after wheat harvest

Following the wheat harvest in the Polatlı district of Ankara, farmers are utilizing their fields for a second crop of oil sunflowers. Planted in July, these sunflowers are expected to be harvested between October 15 and November 1.

Agricultural engineer and producer Hasan Kılınç reports that the sunflowers are expected to yield between 250 and 300 kilograms per decare. Kılınç, who engages in contract farming with Karadenizbirlik, noted that the sunflowers are processed into oil, while the remaining pulp is used as animal feed.

This second-crop practice provides farmers with additional annual income and helps reduce Turkey’s national oil deficit. The cultivation is particularly attractive in areas with irrigation capabilities, as the sunflowers require limited labor due to their suitability for mechanization.