A grower in Antalya's Kumluca district created a mango greenhouse by removing the tomatoes in his greenhouse. The Turkish producer, who planted 300 mango fruits on an area of 4.000m2, started to receive 15 kilos of fruit from 1 tree when the plants reached 3 years of maturity. The grower, who sells mango fruit for 7 USD per kg, noted that investment and patience are required to set up a proper mango greenhouse.
Ertan Partoglu turned his tomato greenhouse into a mango greenhouse to increase the profitability of his greenhouse. "I sell the mango fruit for 7 USD per kg. It makes money, but it requires a formidable investment and patience", he says. "The cost of planting the seedlings is high. A grafted seedling costs around 30 USD each. Last year the newly planted 4000m2 area cost 10,000 USD, including 7,000 USD for seedlings and 3,000 USD for fertilizers. You have to wait at least 5 years to recover this cost."
"Only someone who has savings or other means of income can afford to plant mangoes. If he waits for a profit immediately, he will be disappointed. Mango produces 50 kilograms of fruit when it is 10 years old. Mango fruit is at its most productive between the ages of 10 and 150. Therefore patience is a must for the grower who wants to start with mango production. The mango tree has a lifespan of 300 years. Mango seedlings are fully grown at 3 years of age. I planted it a year ago."
He harvested about one ton of fruit last year, and just started harvesting this year. "We will probably harvest 1 to 1.5 tons of fruit this year. We start harvesting at the end of September and continue until the beginning of November. Right now I am harvesting and on the one hand, the fruit is growing. Mango does not grow in every environment. so the greenhouse needs to be established in a high-altitude area."
The facility is at an altitude of 470 meters, and Ertan says the location of his greenhouse is beautiful. "It gets sun from morning to evening. I have automatic stoves. In winter, when the temperature drops to 5 degrees, my stoves turn on. I ensure that the temperature in the greenhouse does not drop below 5 degrees."
"As growers in this region, we all need to quickly switch to tropical fruit production in a greenhouse environment. Mango has high added value. It doesn't cost to produce much like vegetables once you have set your greenhouse properly. It costs only a little bit extra during the initial setup and planting period", he says. "But to make money from this fruit, you need to be patient for 5 years. Even exporters wanted to buy wholesale at 4 USD per kg from my greenhouse but I rejected their offers and instead directly sold it to retailers at a higher price."
Mango is a moisture-loving fruit. "As the humidity level remains above 50%, the mango trees produce more fruits, thereby increasing the productivity of our greenhouse. That's why we also keep a close eye on the humidity level."
Source: Son Dakika