Kılıç, a student at Ondokuz Mayıs University Faculty of Theology, said, "I came here on June 25th. I've been working since that day. I started by mowing the grass with a gasoline-powered scythe. The mowing process took 10-15 days. I picked up the cut branches in some places. After the laborers came, I did sack work behind them."
Kılıç emphasized that he has been working for almost 2 months, from spreading the hazelnuts in the field to the husking process, and said, "I wake up around 6:00-7:00 AM and go home around 5:00-6:00 PM. Sometimes it's even later. I also deal with our cows. I work in the garden from morning until evening. The husking process is over, and I said 'Alhamdulillah' (Thank God). I've been working since I came here. After all, I'm on summer vacation, I haven't had a chance to travel. I got my father's permission. God willing, I will go on vacation to my sister's place in Istanbul."
Atakan Akça, the President of Altınordu Chamber of Agriculture, stated that it is now time to remove the product from the field in the coastal region.
Akça, who stated that the process of husking hazelnuts is ongoing, made the following evaluation: "For producers, a very productive period has been experienced especially in terms of harvest. Because our region did not receive any rain during this period. There was no position for harvest rot in hazelnuts. Therefore, it is a very important situation for the quality of these hazelnuts. Last year, we had a rainy period and there was a huge decay in the husking process. Thank God, this year, our producers did not face such a situation."
Pointing out that hazelnut agriculture is difficult and labor-intensive, especially in Ordu, Giresun, and Trabzon, Akça explained that processes such as garden cleaning, spraying, fertilization, harvesting, and transportation are entirely based on human labor.
Akça emphasized that the cost of hazelnut production in the Eastern Black Sea region is higher than in other regions, stating, "Even in the husking process, we experience a laborious process. We experience this in every stage of hazelnut production. In fact, hazelnut is not a product that completes all processes in a one-month period as it is thought. Hazelnut is a product that is served for 11 months, and when necessary, it is brought to the field with tremendous struggles, filled into sacks, and brought to the market."
