Papaya production is growing rapidly in Alanya

Alanya's exotic fruit farmers have started growing papaya en masse. Papaya is easy to care for, does not require constant watering, produces fruit from the first year of planting and is in good demand among consumers. It also has the advantage that it can be grown together with bananas on the same plots. It is expected that within a few years the area of plots where papaya will be grown will reach a thousand hectares.

"Papaya is a product that has only just appeared on the shelves of the bazaars of Alanya. However, it was immediately loved by consumers, so we decided to increase the production of this delicious and healthy fruit," said Ufuk Güngör, CEO of Mert Tarım, a tropical fruit company.

Papaya is a palm-like tree with large orange fruits (actually berries) that have a sweet flavor and many health benefits. The flesh of the ripe fruit is yellow, orange and red.  Papaya contains a lot of an enzyme called papain, which has a positive effect on the digestive process, and is also rich in vitamins C, D and E. The high content of potassium and magnesium makes papaya useful for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The leaves and fruits of papaya are also used to make medicines.