Assuming a pioneering role in its sector with its R&D activities aligned with its vision of providing sustainable and innovative solutions to the agricultural sector, Hektaş will continue its domestic and national seed development efforts under the Hektaş Seed brand.
Stating that Hektaş embodies a vision and mission in agriculture, Süleyman Savaş Erdem, General Manager of OYAK, said, “Hektaş is a prime example of OYAK's commitment to taking responsibility in strategic sectors that shape the future of our country. Hektaş, which has achieved successful results in seed breeding - a critical issue for food safety and food sovereignty - is on its way to becoming, first, a regional and then a global seed brand.”
Hektaş, one of OYAK Chemical Agriculture companies and a pioneer in Türkiye's agricultural sector, is taking a significant step in the field of seeds. With its notable R&D investments in recent years, Hektaş supports the country's agriculture through its domestic seed initiatives. Having registered a total of 25 seed varieties in the field and vegetable groups over the last four years, Hektaş will now continue its activities under the name Areo Tohumculuk as Hektaş Seed.
At a press conference held at the F.A.R.M. facility in Orhangazi, Bursa, Enis Emre Terzi, General Manager of Hektaş, shared insights about Hektaş's activities and R&D efforts saying, “Considering population growth, seasonal conditions, climate change, and the decrease in agricultural production areas, the value of efficient agricultural practices is increasing daily. Seed, the foundation of sustainable food, has become a strategic asset for countries. Accordingly, seed breeding efforts play a critical role in ensuring countries' access to food and food security. As the company with the highest R&D investment in its sector in Türkiye, we have been conducting pioneering and innovative studies in seed, plant protection, and plant nutrition for many years.”
Terzi stated that they will continue their seed development activities, which they have been carrying out under the name Areo Tohumculuk since 2019, under the Hektaş brand, and added, “With a 68-year history, Hektaş's brand awareness among farmers is at 100 percent, and its satisfaction rate has remained over 90 percent for the past eight years. With the trust placed in Hektaş, we will continue our journey as Hektaş Seed. We believe that this step will greatly strengthen our position in both domestic and international markets.”
Critical steps for safe food
Emphasizing that they have registered 25 domestic and national seed varieties in the field and vegetable groups, including tomato, pepper, eggplant, cucumber, wheat, and cotton, between 2020 and 2024, Terzi said:
“We support agriculture with the domestic seed studies we have been conducting in recent years. In our seed breeding studies, we enhance the genetic characteristics of plants and increase yields. We obtain seeds that are resistant to climate risks, which have become a significant threat. We also reduce crop loss by developing seeds that resist diseases and pests. We produce crops with high nutritional value using improved seeds. Seed is an extremely critical and strategic investment with a delayed economic return. All these factors are vital for access to safe food.”
Highlighting 'food sovereignty', a key topic discussed globally in agriculture, Terzi continued:
“Food sovereignty is based on a country's capacity to produce its own seeds. If a country can produce its own seeds without reliance on foreign sources, it gains an advantage in terms of food sovereignty. For this reason, seed breeding allows countries to protect local seed diversity and develop their own seeds. As Hektaş Seed, our priority is the seed independence of our country. Seed breeding activities reduce foreign dependency and support autonomy in agricultural policies. Hektaş conducts all its operations with this awareness.”
'Volkan' and 'Selçuk Bey' meet farmers
Explaining that they presented the Hektaş Seed brand to growers for the first time at a cotton field day organized in Aydın this week, Terzi said, “In this meeting, we introduced our new domestic cotton seeds named ‘Volkan’ and ‘Selçuk Bey’ in the field before harvest. Our new domestic seeds are distinguished by their high yield potential and adaptability to various soil structures and machine harvesting. Volkan cotton, which we developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, can be harvested earlier than standard varieties due to its medium-early characteristics. This way, our cotton growers will have the advantage of bringing their products to market earlier and at higher prices. Additionally, seeds that alleviate the intensity of the harvest season will significantly reduce costs for our growers.”
New solutions in liquid plant nutrition
Emphasizing that they accurately identify the problems faced by the agricultural sector, develop high-quality products to meet these needs, and offer them to the market, Terzi also provided information on liquid plant nutrition products. Emre Terzi said, “We recently launched 17 liquid plant nutrition solutions under four brands at our Ankara High Technology Center, one of Hektaş's most significant R&D investments. These products, which will contribute to achieving the highest yield per unit area, received great interest from our farmers during field tests. In addition to the domestic market, we will offer our liquid plant nutrition products to the entire world, especially the Turkic Republics.”
Preparing Turkish Agriculture for the future
Providing a message about Hektaş's activities, Süleyman Savaş Erdem, General Manager of OYAK, said:
“Food security is a critical topic in the agricultural sector, both globally and in Türkiye. Climate change, population growth, migration, geopolitical risks, epidemics, and disasters, along with economic fluctuations, determine the agricultural policies of countries. We discuss food supply security using new concepts such as protectionist tendencies in food trade and food nationalism.
One of the most pressing agenda items for Türkiye, ranked among the top 10 countries in the world for agricultural productivity and production, is ensuring efficient production and sustainable supply security in this field. In this era of change and transformation, sustainable agricultural production is vital for countries.
Hektaş, a vision and mission-driven movement in agriculture, exemplifies OYAK's commitment to taking responsibility in strategic sectors that shape the future of our country. Distinguished by its national projects in R&D, new product development, and agricultural technologies, Hektaş is redefining the rules of sustainable and efficient growth in agricultural production through the investments it has made in the last eight years. It stands by both growers and consumers with innovative practices that integrate technology into agricultural production. As a global company, Hektaş is leading the way in 'Agriculture 5.0’.
In addition to its efforts in plant nutrition and animal health, its activities related to seeds, the first link in the food chain, are directly tied to its goal of ensuring food security. Having achieved successful results in seed breeding, a critical issue concerning food security and sovereignty, Hektaş is on track to become a regional and eventually a global seed brand. Despite the challenging times in agriculture, Hektaş is committed to a better, more productive, and safer future, creating value for our country and preparing Turkish agriculture for the future through technology and science.”
Agricultural experience and innovation center
• Hektaş's agricultural innovation and R&D center, F.A.R.M. (Farming, Analysis, Research & More), was established on 607 decares of land in Orhangazi, one of Türkiye's exemplary microclimate regions, to enable the cultivation and development of various crop types.
• In the innovation and experience center, where 320 different crops are currently grown, analysis, application, vertical farming, and seed breeding studies are conducted using IoT, blockchain, and artificial intelligence technologies, while sustainable agricultural practices are developed.
• Thousands of growers from across Türkiye are trained on good agricultural practices and yield-oriented production techniques at the facility, which aims to enhance efficient agricultural techniques.
Production is carried out on 370 decares of land
In the facility where 182 types of products from 20 species are grown in production plots across 370 decares in open fields, agricultural production is conducted with a sustainable and innovative approach in line with modern agricultural principles with:
• Hard and soft fruit trees (peach, nectarine, olive, plum, apricot, apple, pear, quince, cherry, pomegranate, persimmon, fig)
• Hard-shelled fruit trees (walnut, almond)
• Field crops (wheat, sunflower, corn)
• Berry groups (blueberry, blackberry)
• Vineyards (table, dried, and fragrant grape varieties)
• Summer/winter vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, artichokes, peas)
• Smart soilless greenhouses (tomato, pepper, cucumber, and seed production studies).
The species produced are primarily high-value plants with export potential that are commonly grown in our country. Smart agricultural techniques, cultural processes (pruning, finishing, plant protection, plant nutrition), and digital technologies are employed in the field.
Hektaş F.A.R.M. produces ecological, high-quality, and flavorful products that are not affected by weather conditions and do not contain chemical pesticide residues, ensuring ecological integrity year-round. Flower pollination in soilless greenhouses is achieved through natural methods using pollinator bumblebees.
In a center focused on enhancing agricultural productivity through fully digitized processes, product variety changes periodically, and thousands of different tomato and pepper varieties are produced alongside known varieties.
