Vegetables Sun-Dried for 11 Years in Muş Are Sent to European Countries
A couple in Muş, who dry the vegetables they harvest from their fields using traditional methods, contribute to their family budget by delivering their products to European countries such as Germany and France.
Yücel and Filiz Levent, a couple living in Muş, have been sun-drying the vegetables they produce in their fields for 11 years, offering them for sale at a roadside stall and sending their products all the way to Europe.
Vegetables Harvested from the Fields Are Strung on Ropes
Yücel Levent, 61, and his wife Filiz Levent, 60, living in the village of Mercimekkale in Muş, continue their agricultural production activities on approximately 25 decares of land.
The couple meticulously strings vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and zucchinis harvested from their fields on ropes and sun-dries them using traditional methods.
Drying and Paste Preparation Starting in August
Within the scope of the drying season starting in August, a large portion of the vegetables is prepared as stuffed and meal-ready items to be consumed during the winter months.
Some of the harvested products, alongside the drying processes, are transformed into homemade tomato paste.
From the Roadside Stall to European Countries
Among the customers of the couple, who sell at the stall they set up at the 25th kilometer of the Muş-Erzurum highway, are people coming from surrounding villages and districts.
The products are not limited to the local market; they also find buyers among Turkish citizens living in European countries such as Germany and France.
Ensuring Family Livelihood as the Sole Producer in the Region
Yücel Levent states that a significant portion of their customers consists of expatriates in Europe and that they also send vegetables to some corporate canteens.
While there is no other producer carrying out this activity in the region, the Levent couple makes their living with the income they earn from this business.