‘Mustard could help end economic crisis’

NORTH Cyprus could become a mustard exporting country as one way out of the current economic crisis, it has been suggested.

Girne Municipality health branch supervisor and food engineer Naile Soyel said that due to the Covid-19 pandemic and depreciation of the Turkish lira there has been a “significant fluctuation” in food markets.

“During this period we have clearly seen that each country has started to research self-sufficient production systems it can create in its own natural environment,” Ms Soyel said.

“The connection of agricultural products and plants to the sun is at least as important as people. Sunlight is essential for growth and to produce fruits and vegetables. When we look at Mediterranean vegetation, mustard is also a gift from these lands to us.”

Explaining that in terms of gastronomy and healthy eating habits,

mustard seeds are an important part of the eating and drinking habits of the last century, Ms Soyel said: “The plant seeds, which are commonly known as lapsana, can widely be found as mustard in professional kitchens and home kitchens.”

She said that mustard seeds are also an important source of nutrients like selenium, omega-3, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, vegetable fibre, iron, calcium, protein, niacin and zinc.

Foods with high nutritional value have a greater demand in the food market, Ms Soyel said.

She continued: “Our region, which is considered to be one of the most typical examples of Mediterranean vegetation, is also a very important source of the ‘Mediterranean-style healthy diet’ trend adopted by the whole world.

“It is necessary to support, motivate and direct the production of not only mustard but also all vegetables and fruits that this climate offers and can grow naturally.”

Ms Soyel explained that besides mustard, local agricultural products with high economic value such as black olives, green olives, olive oil, carob, prickly pears, pomegranate, hawthorns, potatoes, citrus fruits, plums, peaches, bananas, apples, grapes, avocados, sesame, peas, chickpeas, broad beans, corn, molehiya, rosemary, thyme and mint can be produced in the TRNC and noted that they should be “organic” foods.

“Organically designed agricultural production systems are the leading trend among the searches for healthy nutrition in the new century,” she stressed.

“It is of great importance that we correctly evaluate the climatic conditions of our country where a lot of production is possible with ecological methods.

“It’s not just about the organic product to be obtained, but also the various gains from protecting the added value of the soil, maintaining air quality and human health and finding a place in the life cycle of natural habitats in a sustainable way that will create positive values for all of us.

Cyprus Turkish Businessmen Association’s president Enver Mamülcü said: “The lapsana plant grows all over Cyprus and unfortunately no one knows its value, namely its economic value.

“The seeds of this plant constitute the raw material of a product with high added value called mustard. Forget about in the fields, we come across this product in every corner of the cities and don’t give it a second glance. Thus, we can also produce mustard.”

Mr Mamülcü pointed out that lapsana, also known as “nipplewort”, is the most common plant that grows spontaneously everywhere in Cyprus in February and March and is “actually valuable”.

He indicated that around 40 varieties of the lapsana plant are found all over the world and although it is known for its resistance even to the Mediterranean climate’s drought, it is considered “harmful to agricultural areas” in some regions, including North Cyprus.

Noting that in addition to mustard production, the lapsana seed has a wide range of uses in the global market, Mr Mamülcü said: “Aside from mustard production, these seeds are also used in the production of mustard oil and mustard powder.

“Canada, Ukraine, China and India are among the most important countries that export it. As long as we give lapsana the value it deserves and overcome the marketing problem, we could easily be one of these countries as well.”