Mastic trees planted 11 years ago in Muğla begin yielding first harvest

Mastic trees planted 11 years ago in Muğla to revive mastic production and reduce foreign dependence have begun yielding their first crop. Known among the public as the 'tree that drips gold,' mastic is used in the food, cosmetics, medical and aromatic products industries. The aim is to cultivate this high-value product across wider areas in Muğla. Efforts are underway to increase mastic production under the Medicinal, Aromatic and Dye Plants Development Project launched in 2015 by the Muğla Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry. So far, mastic orchards have been established on about 100 decares of land under the project. Work continues in all districts except Kavaklıdere and Yatağan to expand production areas. In cooperation with the Aegean Agricultural Research Institute and the South Aegean Development Agency (GEKA), another project is being carried out to create an inventory of Muğla's mastic resources. Leaf and resin samples are being collected from mastic trees in different areas for quality analysis. After the studies are completed, a workshop is planned to establish a roadmap for improving mastic production. Muğla Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Seyfettin Baydar told Anadolu that the region's climate and terrain are suitable for mastic cultivation. He said mastic trees begin producing resin after about 11 years and that the first harvests have now been made in Muğla's orchards. 'So far, we have established 100 decares of orchards and our work continues. We bring in our saplings from the Aegean Agricultural Research Institute and distribute them free of charge to farmers so they can be planted. At the end of 11 years, we have now started to get mastic yields. At the moment, we are in the range of about 80 to 100 grams because these are the first harvests. However, this figure will certainly increase in the coming years,' Baydar said. He added that once the trees fully mature, yields can rise to 400-500 grams. Baydar noted that most of Türkiye's mastic demand is currently met through imports and said the goal is to reduce external dependence while creating a new source of income for rural producers. Hakan Fikret Ünal, head of the Fethiye Ata Agricultural Development Cooperative, said they have established mastic orchards at three different sites in the district. He noted that mastic and rock fig production declined in the region after the population exchange period but said they have now restarted mastic cultivation. 'We want to revive mastic production by distributing the saplings we grow to villages. We are trying to bring mastic, which is an endemic plant of this region, back into the food market. If we involve villagers in this production, we will once again spread the mastic tree across Anatolia,' he said. Agricultural engineer Ümmü Sezer, who works at the Fethiye District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, also said that production and propagation efforts are continuing under the project and that producers have started earning income from mastic.