Entrepreneur begins coffee cultivation trials in Adana

ADANA

A Turkish entrepreneur has launched a trial coffee cultivation project in the southern province of Adana, aiming to introduce coffee farming to the fertile plains of Çukurova, one of Türkiye’s most important agricultural regions.

Machine engineer and greenhouse investor Engin Hazar planted 100 coffee saplings in a 1.5-decare greenhouse in the Sarıçam district with support from the provincial agriculture directorate.

Hazar, who comes from a farming family, said he decided to explore coffee production after researching high-value alternative crops suitable for the region. “During our research, coffee stood out as a promising product. We saw that Adana’s climate conditions are suitable for coffee cultivation, especially in greenhouses,” Hazar said

The project received technical support as well as saplings from the provincial agriculture directorate after Hazar presented the idea to provincial agriculture director Atilla Bayazıt during a greenhouse visit last year.

If the saplings adapt successfully to local conditions, the first harvest is expected within three years.

Türkiye is a major coffee-consuming country, importing nearly $900 million worth of coffee annually, according to Hazar. Commercial coffee production in the country currently remains limited, with only a small number of growers operating mainly in the Mediterranean provinces of Antalya and Mersin.

Hazar said expanding domestic coffee cultivation could create added economic value for Turkish agriculture while reducing dependence on imports.

He also pointed to the effects of climate change on global agriculture, saying shifting weather patterns are making it possible to grow crops in regions where they were previously uncommon.

Coffee plants thrive in warm and humid conditions and can also be cultivated alongside tropical crops such as bananas, allowing farmers to diversify greenhouse production, he added.