Narcissus Onion Boosts Local Economy

Project Overview The Narcissus Onion Distribution Project, managed by the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality’s Agriculture Services Department, distributed 626,336 narcissus onions—80% subsidized—to 356 producers during the 2020‑2025 period.
In 2025, the program extended to 60 producers across Mersin, providing each with 1,500 onions, totaling 90,000.
Implementation Results Idle plots in Tarsus’s Kaklıktağı neighborhood were converted into narcissus onion farms.
Farmers harvested the fragrant bulbs, which were then collected and processed by women before being distributed nationwide.
Product promotion through narcissus-themed events helped build brand value locally and internationally.
Impact on Local Economy The initiative aligns with the municipality’s strategy to generate agricultural income from idle land.
Low input costs and high added value increased producers’ earnings, with output rising at least tenfold.
Expanding the project to neighboring provinces is expected to further benefit the national economy.