Kocaeli Completes Harvest of 41 Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

This year, the harvest of 41 plants was completed within the scope of the Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Cultivation Project (TABİP), carried out by Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality as part of its rural development efforts.

The project, carried out in cooperation with Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality and Kocaeli University, aims to popularize the production of high value-added medicinal and aromatic plants and develop alternative agricultural products.

In the studies carried out at the 100-decare R&D and Production Area located at Kocaeli University Faculty of Agriculture Arslanbey Campus, 41 medicinal and aromatic plants, including rosemary, thyme, lemon balm, mint, and lavender, were harvested.

The R&D area and Plant Museum in Arslanbey provide a practical application area for students, academics, and producers. Public institutions and sector representatives from various provinces of Turkey also visit the center to examine the work on site.

The adaptation processes of the 41 plant species cultivated in the R&D area to climate, soil structure, and regional conditions are monitored and recorded using scientific methods.

The plants harvested by female workers are processed at the distillation facility of SEKA Park AŞ, a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Municipality. The plants, from which essential oils and hydrosols are obtained using the steam distillation method, are transformed into value-added products after drying, sorting, and cold-pressing processes.

The essential oils, hydrosols, and other natural ingredients obtained from the processed medicinal and aromatic plants are used in aromatic and cosmetic products under the Ormanya brand.