22.12.2025 13:47
The fame of walnut cultivation, which began 20 years ago in the rural Konurlar neighborhood of İnegöl district in Bursa, has spread throughout Turkey. The headman of Konurlar neighborhood, İlhami Uysal, stated, "Businessmen and, for some reason, doctors are investing in walnut orchards. There are people coming from Bursa, Istanbul, Trabzon, and Erzurum to buy orchards, as well as those who are purchasing empty fields to establish orchards from scratch."
In İnegöl, a leading area in agricultural production with its product pattern and vast lands, walnut cultivation has developed significantly over the past 15-20 years.
In the district, where young orchards that have not yet reached full productivity are predominant, walnuts are produced on an area exceeding 30 thousand decares.
THE STORY BEGAN 20 YEARS AGO
The headman of Konurlar Neighborhood, known as the "Walnut Village," İlhami Uysal, stated that they previously made a living from tobacco production and explained that the story began 20 years ago when one person established a walnut orchard. Uysal noted that walnuts, which seem less labor-intensive than tobacco, especially serve as an example for the youth, and over time, the number of walnut orchards and production has increased.
Uysal expressed that they have reached 3,500 decares in walnut production today, saying, "1,500 decares are irrigable. The rest will receive water in March, and all walnut orchards will be irrigable."
SELLING OUT
Uysal stated that over 10 thousand tons of walnuts are produced in their neighborhood and said:
"We sell them as green and hard-shelled. They go all over the country and are even exported abroad. The harvest starts in October and ends in October, lasting 15-20 days. You can hardly find walnuts in November and December; we are practically selling out. They attract a lot of interest because they are oily and delicious. You need to order one or two months in advance to eat our walnuts. When the walnuts start to bud, orders accelerate and peak in August."
PEOPLE FROM ISTANBUL, TRABZON, AND ERZURUM HAVE EVEN COME TO ESTABLISH ORCHARDS
Uysal emphasized that Konurlar Neighborhood has gained fame for its walnuts and orchards, stating, "Businesspeople and, for some reason, doctors are investing in walnut orchards. There are those who come from Bursa, Istanbul, Trabzon, and Erzurum to buy land and establish orchards from scratch. Today, the price per decare is sold between 300 and 500 thousand lira."
Uysal mentioned that last year they sold green-shelled walnuts for 90-120 lira per kilogram, saying, "This year, the lowest was 120 lira and it went up to 150 lira for green-shelled ones. Hard-shelled walnuts started at 130 lira and went up to 160 lira. If we had stayed in tobacco, we couldn't have earned this much. In tobacco, we would add the money for a year. In walnuts, we sell as we harvest and put the money in our pockets." he said.
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SHOWING INTEREST
One of the many young people involved in walnut production in the neighborhood, 20-year-old Mehmet Bali, noted that it not only prevents the youth from migrating but also initiates reverse migration.
Describing that they produce walnuts on 3 decares of their own land and 250 decares of rented land, Bali said, "I worked for a short time in a furniture factory in İnegöl center. Then I quit and came back. Farming is our own business; at least we earn. Despite many products being absent in agriculture this year, we made good profits from walnuts."