They have started selling the product they began producing on their balcony even abroad now.

In Antalya, the couple Nermin (66) and Abdullah Karapınar (64) started producing dragon fruit after retiring from teaching. The couple, who increased the 150 seedlings they bought 7 years ago to 4,500, also sends products abroad.

In the Aksu district, primary school teacher Nermin and art teacher Abdullah Karapınar decided to start farming after retiring 7 years ago. The Karapınar couple, who were looking for products, decided to produce dragon fruit. Nermin Karapınar, who shared their 7-year farming adventure, said, "Agriculture makes people happy, rejuvenates them, and keeps them energetic. After a certain age, a person needs to engage in something. Instead of saying 'I am old' and sitting on the sidelines, we chose to engage in agriculture. While we were teaching, we bought 3 acres of land, and then expanded our land by purchasing 2 more acres. We decided to move from hobby to agriculture. This sowing and harvesting work should not tire us or incur expenses. One day, I saw dragon fruit on a television program and we took action to produce it," she said.

THE PRICE RANGES BETWEEN 120 AND 150 LIRA PER KILO

Stating that they were initially looking for seedlings, Nermin Karapınar said, "We bought 150 seedlings in sizes of 10, 15, and 20 centimeters. We grew these seedlings on the balcony, equivalent to 1 acre in 1 year. Now we have 4,500 seedlings. We are constantly working, we love it, and we talk to them. We could manage with the teacher's salary, but the sales of dragon fruit are very good. Our sales are both domestic and abroad. The sugar content of our fruits is high. The red ones generally range between 120 and 150 lira per kilo," she said.

"WE DID NOT MAKE A PROFIT IN THE FIRST YEAR, BUT THEN OUR BUSINESS IMPROVED"

Abdullah Karapınar expressed that their earnings are better compared to their retirement pension, saying, "We have about 3 acres of land here. Our income is sufficient compared to our retirement pension. Since it is difficult to find workers, I try to do everything myself as much as possible. My wife generally focuses on promotion and marketing. I am also involved in the production side. We try to be an example for other retirees and people who have disconnected from production. As educators, we were already sensitive to health issues. We used to provide our students with information about natural nutrition and diseases. We entered this business after seeing that unhealthy eating is at the root of many problems. We did not make a profit in the first year, but then our business improved," he said.

"HIGH ANTIOXIDANT VALUE"

Abdullah Karapınar explained the importance of dragon fruit in terms of health, saying, "Red and purple fruits have high antioxidant values. We recommend these types of fruits to everyone. Dragon fruit production has started along the Mediterranean coast and in certain parts of the Aegean near the sea. We know almost all of them because we pioneered this business," he said.