Forest villagers in Turkey earn their living from bay laurel leaves

Bay leaves, which are harvested in the Sinanhoca District of AKSEKİ every year in January-February, provide a significant income to approximately 100 families. Villagers collect bay leaves from trees on steep slopes and between rocks and stack their sacks on tractor trailers in the village square. The company, which buys the laurel leaves weighed here for 7 to 10 TL per kilo, takes them to Denizli to be processed in the factories. It was stated that bay leaves or processed products used in the pharmaceutical, food, chemistry, paint and cosmetics industries are exported to European countries. It was learned that while the majority of the villagers were dealing with laurel cutting at this time of the year, a family of 5 earned an average of 25 thousand TL. Citizens contribute to their family budgets by collecting bay leaves from Akseki's Sinanhoca District Kozarası and Tuluk Mountain. Stating that the laurel harvest was done in January and February, Sinanhoca Neighborhood Headman ...