Lavender Oil Is Becoming Scholarships To Students 29-July-2019
In Muğla, lavender planted by the Education-Geriatrics-Ecological Agriculture-Tourism (EGET) Foundation, established 4 years ago, contributes to education. Cosmetic products made from the dried and pressed lavender oil are offered for sale on the foundation’s website. With the profits, 31 university students receive a monthly scholarship of 350 liras each.
Founded in 2015 by businessperson Özlem Uzman and famous painter Safai Özert in Menteşe, the central district of Muğla, to provide scholarships to students, the EGET Foundation created a lavender field after the truffle known as the food of the rich. Lavender seedlings were planted on 4 decares of land in the agricultural enterprise in the Armutçuk neighborhood of Ula district. EGET Foundation started selling seedlings at affordable prices to increase lavender planting in the region. In addition to selling lavender seedlings, the Foundation also produced lavender honey. The proceeds from the lavender seedlings and honey sold with the slogan ‘Let lavender blossom to support education’ were used for scholarships for students. When EGET’s lavender honey was appreciated, beekeepers in the region also turned their attention to Armutçuk. Last spring, honey producers placed around 600 hives around the EGET Armutçuk Agricultural Enterprise. After the harvest period in August 2018, lavender was distilled at the Mugla Metropolitan Municipality Medicinal and Aromatic Plants and Local Seed Center Facilities. An agreement was reached with a company in Istanbul to make cosmetic products from the distilled oils. Soap, tonic, cream, cologne and shampoo obtained after the agreement were offered for sale on the foundation’s website at prices ranging from 19 to 30 liras.
‘WE ARE IMPORTING HIGH QUANTITIES OF PRODUCTS WE CAN PRODUCE’
Özlem Uzman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of EGET Foundation, stated that they obtain high value-added industrial inputs from agricultural products and said, “Our country imports vegetable oils and juices intensively. If we look further, a very high added value is created by transforming this industrial input into retail products. It is possible for this added value to remain in the pockets of our farmers. We are proud to have demonstrated this. Of course, EGET is a foundation and our main goal is to provide scholarships to low-income students. We are happy that we have found a new opportunity to give scholarships to more students as well as showing ways for our farmers to earn more income.”
President Uzman stated that they are going through a difficult period in agriculture and industry and continued his words as follows:
“We import even products that can be produced by our farmers. Among the products we import are lavender, citrus, mint, citronellol (a product produced from rose and geranium leaves) oils. When we look at oils and hydrosols, solutions and resinoids obtained from plants, we are talking about an annual import of approximately 33.5 million dollars. This money can stay with our farmers. Considering not only lavender but also oils and hydrosols from plants, we had a deficit of 279 million dollars in 2018. In the January-May period of this year, the deficit is 100 million dollars. We import products that our farmers can produce at high levels. Since we cannot transform what we produce into cosmetic products, we import them from abroad at high prices. It is possible to bring this added value to our farmers. ”
‘FARMER COOPERATIVES NEED TO BE SUPPORTED’
Safai Özer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of EGET Foundation, pointed out that strong cosmetic brands that export can be created through cooperatives, and said:
“Our foundation has established the first lavender plantation of the coastal cities in Muğla. It defines itself as a duty to provide scholarships to low-income students with the financial resources it obtains. We also consider it our duty to be useful and exemplary for everyone who wants to be useful and exemplary with the work we do. The process of obtaining cosmetic products from lavender oil and lavender water showed us that it is possible to obtain a very high added value from an agricultural product. In the beginning, it is necessary to find a laboratory and a contract manufacturer approved by the Ministry of Health, and to make significant organizations and payments for sales. If farmers are organized as cooperatives by the public or municipalities and these processes are supported, they will have an important source of income. Considering today’s communication opportunities, strong cosmetic brands that export can be created through cooperatives.”