THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Press release…
August 2026…
The area planted with pelemir (a type of oilseed) in Türkiye has surged from 350 decares to 35,000 decares in the last 5 years through a contract farming model, aiming to provide raw materials for domestic biofuel production.
IZMIR…
The goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of the transportation sector by blending biofuels, obtained from renewable raw materials of plant and animal origin, with gasoline, diesel and jet fuel in certain proportions.
Pelemir, an oilseed plant, stands out as a biofuel raw material due to its fatty acid profile and the suitability of its components for fuel production.
Studies on the utilization of pelamir, known as a weed in Anatolia, gained momentum with the registration of the “Karahan” variety, developed by the Ankara Field Crops Central Research Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, in 2017.
The Biofuel Industry Association and DB Agricultural Energy, within the scope of a TÜBİTAK-supported project, produced biofuel from oil obtained from the seeds of the Karahan variety in 2020.
Studies determined that pelemir oil has properties suitable for blending with fuels used in land, sea, and air transportation.
Following research and field studies, a contract farming model was adopted for pelemir. Production focused particularly on utilizing fallow and arid lands.
Production, which started with 9 farmers on 350 decares in the 2021-2022 season, expanded to 3,500 decares in 2023. This year, the pelemir cultivation area reached 35,000 decares, and the number of farmers involved in production also increased. While contract farming is being carried out with 237 producers this year, it is stated that approximately 400 farmers have turned to pelemir production in the last 5 years.
Pelemir, which stands out due to its low input costs and minimal need for water, fertilizer, and pesticides, is aimed at providing raw materials for domestic biofuel production as well as contributing to sustainable agriculture…
