21.11.2025 22:15
After years of working as a döner seller in France, Ziya Nacaklı, who returned to his hometown after retiring, is on the path to becoming a brand by producing on 35 acres with 1,200 walnut trees. Nacaklı stated that the productivity of the trees will increase year by year, saying, "Even though I currently don't have products at full capacity, I am earning more than I did from my businesses in France."
61-year-old Ziya Nacaklı, who has been in the döner business for 40 years in France, returned to his hometown of Çivril in Denizli after retiring 10 years ago.
STARTED WALNUT PRODUCTION IN HIS HOMETOWN
Nacaklı, who planted walnut trees in the field he purchased in Gürpınar Neighborhood for hobby purposes, has over the years bought other surrounding fields and planted 1,200 walnut trees on an area of 35 decares. Stating that his trees are 9 years old, Nacaklı expressed that he harvested 10 tons of walnuts in his last harvest. He mentioned that he would get the actual yield from walnut trees after they are 12 years old and stated that his goal is to produce 1,000 tons of walnuts. Ziya Nacaklı, who produces Chandler variety walnuts, also expressed his dream of becoming a brand in walnuts.
"I EARN MORE THAN I DID FROM DÖNER"
Nacaklı, who stated that he harvests from half of his walnut trees, said, "Even now, I earn more than I did from döner. Taking care of the trees is difficult and labor-intensive. We take care of the trees for a year. There are no fruits in the first five or six years. After that, the yield increases year by year. Even though there is currently no full capacity product, I earn more than from my businesses in France. Agriculture can be profitable if done consciously and systematically. For now, we are collecting walnuts by hand. Besides that, all the sorting, peeling, and drying processes are mechanical. After harvesting the walnuts, I separate them by size in the sorting machine. The sorted walnuts are peeled in the peeling machine and placed on the shelves. I have set up a drying system in the 350 square meter closed area I built behind my house, and I dry the walnuts within 10 days without any moisture left in them," he said.
"THIS YEAR YIELD IS LOW BUT PRICE IS GOOD"
Ziya Nacaklı stated that there is always a buyer for Gürpınar walnuts, saying, "There is always a buyer for the walnuts grown in the region. They generally come from the Southeastern Anatolia region. They buy them to use in sweets. The producer does not make extra effort to sell his walnuts. The buyer comes, buys from the producer, and leaves. This year, the yield has decreased a bit due to cold weather and agricultural frost. However, the price per kilo is at a satisfactory level. Walnuts are sold on-site for between 180 and 200 lira. Our walnuts are white, have a unique taste and aroma. The soil and climate structure of the region positively affects the color and aroma of the walnuts. For this reason, walnuts are preferred compared to those grown in other regions," he stated.