13.12.2025 10:45
Şeyda Yoltaş, who left her profession as a financial consultant in Bolu to pursue her dream of farming, is producing saffron in a 50 square meter area using an indoor farming model. Regarding the production of saffron, which costs about 700 TL per gram, Yoltaş stated, "Harvesting saffron before the bees arrive and before the male organs distribute pollen involves significant labor costs and worker costs. Here, we managed this process much more comfortably. We still worked hard, but we were relatively much more at ease compared to those in the fields."
Since 2012, Şeyda Yoltaş, who has been researching to realize her childhood dream of being a producer, has received a bachelor's degree in economics, a master's degree in banking and finance, and a doctorate. Working as a financial consultant, Yoltaş shifted her focus to agriculture, leaving her profession. Yoldaş began producing saffron, which is sold for approximately 700 TL per gram, in a 50 square meter area using an indoor farming model with her own means.
"SAFFRON HAS A LOT OF BENEFITS" Stating that she wanted to be a producer, Yoltaş said, "I wanted to create something, to create added value. Farming is very valuable, very valuable for human health, and very valuable for sustainability. That's why I chose it. Saffron has a lot of benefits. We know it is good for eye health, skin health, and that it fights cancerous cells; we know it regulates blood pressure. Of course, those with chronic illnesses should definitely consult their doctors. This is the case for every product. It should not be consumed more than one cup a day, I should mention that too. Because saffron has a very strong content. It is also very well supported with supplements in capsule form. The production phase is very different from what is in the soil. The one in the soil is very labor-intensive and requires a lot of skill. That's why it is a somewhat expensive plant. We say it is an expensive plant, but in fact, 1 gram of saffron is sufficient for one person for a month. When you think of it that way, it is actually not a very high price," she said.
"ONION DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIELD IS A BIT SLOW" Şeyda Yoldaş said, "We brought our saffron indoors around October 1, and we started harvesting around mid-November. During the harvest, flowers are picked one by one by hand. We have a significant advantage regarding green leaves compared to what is in the soil. Our green leaves are very important. They are crucial for being able to obtain bulbs next year. We can work here more easily without damaging them. This is not very possible in the field. Therefore, the development of bulbs in the field is a bit slow. We can obtain bulbs here every year and earn additional income from bulb sales. The saffron flower blooms overnight. When it blooms, it is very important to pick it before the leaves fully open, in terms of the plant's content and the content of saffron stigmas. In the field, we differ at this point. If I had planted this area in the field; it would have been more than 1.5 decares, and it needed to be harvested before daylight. Harvesting saffron before bees come and male organs distribute pollen requires significant labor costs and worker costs. Here, we have navigated this process much more comfortably. We worked hard again, but we were much more relaxed compared to those in the field. At least we can control the content, we can turn off our lights, or we can adjust the temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide that the plant needs during the flowering period. Unfortunately, these are not very possible in nature. You are faced with risks. When the saffron flower comes out before it fully opens, we pick it by hand, one by one; there are 30 thousand bulbs here. We pick them one by one by hand and remove the 3 stigmas inside one by one. What actually makes saffron valuable is this hand labor," she said.