05.09.2026 12:10
Ünal Habanoğlu, a father of four living in the Yeşilhisar district of Kayseri, turned the almond cultivation he started 16 years ago out of curiosity as a hobby into a large-scale production. Habanoğlu, who has reached approximately 20,000 almond trees on 400 decares of land, said he expects 10 tons of product this year from 1,200 mature trees.
Ünal Habanoğlu (56), a father of four in the Yeşilhisar district of Kayseri, who developed a passion for almond production as a hobby 16 years ago, has reached 20 thousand trees on 400 acres of land. Habanoğlu said, "I developed an interest in almonds, and while researching them, I saw that there was an almond deficit in our country. I decided to expand this. This year, I expect a yield of 10 tons."
REACHED 20 THOUSAND TREES Ünal Habanoğlu, living in the Yeşilhisar district, developed a passion for almond cultivation 16 years ago. Learning that a large portion of almond consumption in the country was imported in those years, Habanoğlu started growing almonds as a hobby in the Kılcan area of the district. Over time, his hobby turned into a profession, and with the newly planted almond trees, Ünal Habanoğlu reached 20 thousand trees on 400 acres of land.
Ünal Habanoğlu said, "I started almonds as a hobby. I developed an interest, and while researching almonds, I saw an almond deficit in our country. I saw that we import 80 percent, and local farmers produce 20 percent, and I decided to expand this. These trees are currently 7 years old. This year, I expect a yield of 10 tons. I saw that the taste and flavor of the almond are good, and it is a variety very suitable for our region's water, air, and soil. Our almond variety is the 'Makako' type. There are spring frosts here. It is not affected by spring frosts. It blooms after April 23, its flowering and yield per tree this year are the 10 kilograms we expect, and it will increase year by year, that is, it will grow progressively."
'I WANTED IT TO BE AN ALTERNATIVE PRODUCT FOR OUR REGION' Habanoğlu, who also explained that the region where he harvests is established on 36 acres, said, "After seeing this, I decided on a larger one. On 36 acres, where our mature 7-year-old almonds are, there are 1200 trees. We expect around 10 tons of almonds from this mature area. On top of this, I planted 18-19 thousand new saplings. I am currently trying to cultivate this on an area of about 400 acres. In the Yeşilhisar district, I wanted it to be an alternative product to apples and other fruits for our region, and I want local producers to show interest and do this. I have seen in this region that our current efforts, our research on almonds, and almond cultivation are very suitable for this area."
'ITS AROMA IS VERY DELICIOUS' Also providing information about the costs of almond cultivation, Habanoğlu said, "We will harvest at the end of September. It is not difficult like other fruits; it is easy. There is also mechanized harvesting with new technology. We will get that; we are currently working on it. The cost of the 36-acre almond orchard to us, including electricity, water, fertilizer, spraying, and harvesting, appears to be around 250 thousand lira. According to our calculations, it is not much. Compared to other fruits and apples, it is very cheap and very affordable. Let no one worry about whether I sold the product or not, whether it worked or not. Its shelf life is long. The taste and aroma of this Makako variety are very delicious here due to the climate and the air of Erciyes. There is no need for roasting or any processing. Eating it raw is more beneficial and more delicious. They also recommend consuming it that way. I had done a small production and established its processing facility. Now I am turning this into a dried nut product."