What is aronia? How to identify real aronia? Where does the aronia fruit grow?

With the pandemic and the new viruses that have been added to our lives in every period since, the importance of healthy eating has also increased. The consumption of aronia, which has significant health benefits and is added to the scientific studies, recommendations, and prescriptions of doctors, dietitians, and phytotherapy experts as a source of healing, has shown an increase.

Stating that awareness of aronia is gradually increasing but that there are important details regarding production and cultivation, Dr. Aronia Founder Aylin Kalafatoğlu made the following statements:

“When we first brought aronia saplings to Turkey, the name aronia was unknown. Currently, it is being cultivated all over Turkey, and because it is a fruit with a high return, it receives intense interest from farmers. It is now possible to see aronia cultivation in an average area of 250 decares in almost every province. We started with approximately 100 decares, and we are currently producing in an area of approximately 2000 decares with our farmers who choose us, and we provide 360-degree training and consultancy services to our 40 farmers. Although every region of Turkey offers suitable conditions for aronia orchard establishment, we mainly receive requests from provinces such as Çanakkale, Edirne, Erzurum, Samsun, Sivas, Burdur, Kayseri, Denizli, Manisa, Yalova, Kırklareli, and Muğla. Orchard establishment is the first fundamental step in our professional expertise. Soil analysis is of critical importance here. Obtaining world-class, good fruit in soil with suitable conditions becomes possible with the knowledge and experience we possess. After the soil analysis, we analyze our farmers well. Because we are talking about a fruit with a lifespan of 25 years. We ensure that our farmers are also conscious and determined so that the soil is not damaged. We take into account factors such as determining the number of saplings, soil preparation, irrigation system status, climatic characteristics, geographical location, meteorological data, precipitation amounts, wind and humidity rates, and even the location and availability of the people who will work. By evaluating all this information, we carry out a correct, effective, and efficient orchard establishment with our expert team. As Dr. Aronia, we prefer internationally licensed saplings that are 3 years old, extra plus, have a European Union passport, and are organic certified, which is the first and only one in Turkey for aronia orchard establishment.”

ARONIA CULTIVATION

Drawing attention to the mistakes made in the sector and cases of fraud, Kalafatoğlu stated, “Many orchard owners carry out orchard establishments by purchasing seedlings that are not even saplings, based on hearsay information without performing soil analysis and obtaining correct information. It is sad to encounter seedlings among those sold on websites whose varieties are not even clear. This situation causes both time, labor, and financial losses for orchard owners and damages reliability in the sector. Orchard owners obtaining information from reliable sources and consulting experts for their work can help reduce these problems in the sector. Seedling producers, on the other hand, should take care to produce high-quality seedlings with clear varieties by offering clear and accurate information to customers. This will reduce information pollution in the sector and contribute to orchard owners achieving more successful results. At the same time, it is also important to increase the general level of awareness by encouraging information sharing among stakeholders in the sector.”