24.07.2026 17:01
The common reed (goga grass) naturally growing in the Kızılırmak Delta, which is on UNESCO's Tentative List, is collected with special permission and dried to be sold for 100-120 lira per kilogram. Farmers earn 150-200 thousand lira from this grass in two months.
Reed grass, known locally as 'goga weed', which naturally grows in the wetlands of the Kızılırmak Delta Bird Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List site, has become a source of income for farmers.
The Kızılırmak Delta Bird Sanctuary, located at the point where the Kızılırmak River flows into the Black Sea, hosts significant biodiversity with its wetlands. Goga weed also grows naturally in the delta.
Farmers living in the Yörükler neighborhood of the 19 Mayıs district collect goga weed from the delta with special permission from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's 11th Regional Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, the Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, and the Samsun Metropolitan Municipality.
THEY EARN UP TO 120,000 LIRA
Farmers go to the delta at first light and individually uproot the female plants of the species, which grows as both male and female. Leaving the uprooted goga weeds in an open area to dry for 20-25 days, the farmers then earn income by selling the weed, which is used in various fields, at prices between 100 and 120 lira per kilogram.
İsmail Düzenli, who has been collecting goga weed in the region for 20 years, told AA correspondent that the time for uprooting goga weed is July and August.
Stating that they collect goga weeds from the wetland, Düzenli said, 'We leave at 7 in the morning and return around 6-7 in the evening. We have a team of 15-20 people. Then we dry them here. Afterward, we bundle them and send them to Kahramanmaraş. They dry tarhana on them.'
Explaining that the weed is also used by florists in making wreaths, Düzenli said, 'They wrap it around the wreath. We provide additional income for our family.'
'IT'S A BIT DIFFICULT, NOT A JOB FOR EVERYONE'
Burhan Düzenli stated that he collects goga weed to support his family, saying, 'It provides me with additional income in the summer. My family does this work. We deal with this for 2-3 months in the summer. The income is good. It's a bit difficult, not a job for everyone. One person can earn nearly 2,000 lira per day. I've been doing this since I was 10. I earn 150-200 thousand lira in two months.'
Turan Düzenli also pointed out that the goga plant grows along the edges of marshes, saying, 'We start collecting the weed one by one early in the morning. The weed is sold both fresh and dried. Our work doesn't end with just collecting from nature. We leave it to dry in the sun. Since the plant is a bit delicate, we spread it on wires. It gets damp on the ground. We generally sell it to the Kahramanmaraş region. It is used in drying tarhana.'