Forte Establishes Türkiye’s Şargest Strawberry Greenhouse of 55-decares

Emphasizing that the greenhouse also functions as an R&D centre, Bayrak continued:

“The main cost of a greenhouse is often assumed to be the steel construction, leading people to think of it as merely metalwork. We recently engaged with Cetwell and found out that they share the same vision as us. They don’t just build steel structures but also incorporate information technology, offering their own solutions. In 2024, Forte acquired a 51% stake in Cetwell. With this step, we have initiated activities to expand and diversify our operations.”

Bayrak pointed out that the greenhouse established in Adana is not owned by Cetwell or Forte but by an investor. “We are building turnkey greenhouses and managing their operations through Cetwell. We also handle the sales. The investor simply earns a profit from the greenhouse. Our model focuses on financing—bringing together investors to develop large-scale greenhouse projects,” he explained.

Bayrak mentioned that the construction of the greenhouse in Adana started in April 2024, with the first seedlings planted in November and the first harvest obtained in February. He stated that they plan to recoup the investment within 36 months. Highlighting their reliance on machines rather than human labour, Bayrak said, “We have six employees, including two agricultural engineers, three technical staff, and a security guard. During the harvest season, we will initially employ 50 women through the Turkish Bureau of Employment (İŞKUR).”

Bayrak emphasized that they have built Türkiye’s largest strawberry greenhouse and expect to produce 450 tons of strawberries this year. “Since this is a newly established greenhouse, our harvest season was shorter. Our goal is to reach 500 tons of production in a full year. With the technologies we will implement, we plan to exceed this figure,” he concluded.

Bayrak explained the greenhouse’s efficiency as follows: “Compared to traditional open-field farming, we achieve 10 times higher yield. While 50 decares of farmland would typically produce 40-50 tons of strawberries, we are producing 450-500 tons in the greenhouse. Despite increasing production tenfold, we use only one-eighth of the water required for open-field farming. In terms of per-strawberry water consumption, our system is 50 times more efficient than traditional farming. We are not just practicing today’s agriculture—we are shaping the agriculture of the future, as water is becoming an increasingly expensive resource.”

Bayrak highlighted their use of drones equipped with high-resolution cameras in the greenhouse. “With artificial intelligence and image-processing technologies, we can monitor strawberries in real time. We also use heat sensors and have invested in technological solutions for fertilization and plant nutrition. Additionally, we have developed software that allows us to monitor the entire system via mobile devices. These technologies, commonly used in the defense sector, have great potential in agriculture. As Forte, we are investing in agricultural technology and aiming to serve as a role model,” he said.

To enable more investors to participate in the greenhouse sector, Forte established the ‘Strawberry Venture Capital Investment Fund,’ Bayrak announced. “We received approval from the Capital Markets Board of Türkiye (SPK). Both qualified investors and individuals interested in smaller-scale investments can participate in this fund. Through this initiative, we will build much larger greenhouses. This is just the first example. Our goal is to demonstrate to investors the real costs and profitability of greenhouse farming,” he stated.

Bayrak discussed an initiative inspired by a village project designed by Atatürk in 1937. “Based on this concept, we are introducing ‘Atasera’—Atatürk’s greenhouses. Atasera will not just be a greenhouse but an integrated living space. We will provide daycare centres for the children of female workers and facilities for university students to stay during the summer. By 2026, we plan to establish a 500-decare integrated greenhouse system in Çukurova, operating as a single, unified structure. This initiative will be financed through our investment fund, and we have already secured a $10 million investment commitment,” he concluded.

Source: Ekonomim