Supported by Konya Metropolitan Municipality, the Ustunler Women Entrepreneurs Agricultural Development Cooperative is helping women contribute to production and their household incomes while also preserving the region’s traditional products.
The Üstünler Women Entrepreneurs Agricultural Development Cooperative began its activities after an unused historic water mill in Üstünler neighborhood of Beyşehir district was converted into a production center. The cooperative brings locally made products prepared by women through their own labor into the local economy.
With support from Konya Metropolitan Municipality in the form of facilities, equipment and training, the cooperative continues its work and delivers its traditional products to customers across Türkiye.
Konya Metropolitan Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay highlighted Konya’s importance in food security, saying, “These fertile lands, known as Anatolia’s granary, are among the important centers contributing to global food security. In these lands, agriculture is not merely an economic activity but also a legacy of civilization. We aim to revitalize village life and agricultural activities and strengthen rural areas economically and socially.”
Recalling that they are carrying out various initiatives to ensure the continuity of production in rural areas and bring local resources into the economy, Mayor Altay said they support every effort that helps turn women’s labor into economic value.
Mayor Altay said, “We restored the unused historic water mill in Üstünler neighborhood and allocated it for our women’s production activities. In addition to providing machinery and equipment, we also offered training in hygiene, production in compliance with standards, packaging, packing and digital marketing. Today, our women continue their production at this center and bring the valuable products of our region into the economy. We are very pleased with the contribution of the work carried out here to our neighborhood and fellow citizens. The labor, experience and determination of our women to produce are very important to us. The work carried out here both preserves the local values of our neighborhood and enables our women to contribute to their household incomes. As Konya Metropolitan Municipality, we will continue to support initiatives that encourage greater participation by women in production, increase the value of handmade products and strengthen rural development.”
From an Unused Water Mill to a Production Center
Hacer Karatay, President of the Üstünler Women Entrepreneurs Agricultural Development Cooperative, said they set out in 2021 by bringing together women who were working individually in the village.
Karatay said they received training in cooperatives, hygiene and production through Konya Metropolitan Municipality and the Public Education Center, adding that an old, unused water mill was restored and allocated to them with the support of Konya Metropolitan Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay.
Speaking about the activities carried out at the facility, Karatay said:
“We produce erişte, flour tarhana, soup tarhana, bulgur, tomato paste, jam, gözleme, bazlama, yufka and Beyşehir’s traditional cips tarhana. The municipality did more than just provide us with a place; it also supported us with equipment, training and promotion. We introduced ourselves by taking part in promotional events in Istanbul. We send our products by cargo and bus, and we also receive a high volume of orders through our social media accounts. We are known under our ‘Hatuni’ brand.”
Karatay said 11 women are employed by the cooperative and that a significant portion of their raw materials comes from vegetables grown in their own gardens and from local producers in the region. She said, “We process products from our own region. We are moving forward without compromising our commitment to natural production. We received requests from markets, but we did not accept them. Because we are a cooperative, we try to produce naturally through our own labor. We grow and sell dried eggplant and peppers from our own gardens. It is profitable, but our tax expenses are particularly high; we would like cooperatives to be provided with tax relief. It would have been difficult for us to achieve this success without the support of our Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay.”
