Laurel, which grows naturally in Kocaeli, has become a source of income for those living in the countryside of Turkey

The laurel plant, which spreads over an area of 7 thousand 512 hectares in the city, is harvested by the citizens living in the countryside in September-May. After the laurel shoots are cut by the villagers in the areas allowed by the Sakarya Regional Directorate of Forestry, they are processed in 2 drying and packaging facilities in Kandıra. The laurel leaves, which are dried and separated from their branches, are delivered to exporting companies to be used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries. It is aimed to increase the production amount of 4-5 thousand tons of laurel in the city to 10 thousand tons in the coming years by making use of the idle lands and improving the existing bay areas. "We are trying to increase our bay areas by planting in the areas we find empty" Sakarya Regional Director of Forestry Ziya Polat told Anadolu Agency (AA) that 42 percent of Kocaeli is covered with forests and said that their duty as an organization is to protect and develop ...