Kuruyan meralar yeşerdi, koyunlar 2 saatte doyuyor

In Karaman, the plant species planted in the pastures, whose vegetation has weakened due to drought, are contributing to livestock farming in the region. In the Pasture Improvement and Management Project, which was started by the Karaman Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry in 2021, drought-resistant plant species were planted in the pastures of the villages connected to the center. A total of 7,800 decares of pasture land in Ekinözü, Burunoba, Hamidiye, Osmaniye, Göztepe, Çoğlu and Kızık villages have turned green with saltbush (atriplex) and steppe grass (kochia), which have high protein value. The area rehabilitated within the scope of the project will reach 10,500 decares by the end of the year. The planted plants remain green throughout the year. Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Hatice Bulut said that there are approximately 800,000 small ruminant animals in Karaman. Bulut stated that livestock farming is based on pastures in the city, where drought is felt to a high degree, and that they are carrying out improvement works taking this into account, saying, "We are doing our projects with saltbush and steppe grass, which are drought-resistant, readily eaten by animals, and rich in protein and nutrients. Saltbush has the characteristic of remaining green for 12 months of the year. For this reason, we are providing this green vegetation for the animals even during periods of intense drought." He added, "We are observing its effects on milk yield." Bulut stated that they have started to receive positive feedback from the breeders, saying, "We left our animals to graze in the pasture we opened. We saw that the animals consumed this plant with great appetite. We are observing its effects on milk yield. We are receiving positive feedback from our producers. Our producers are extremely satisfied because it reduces their roughage input. We hope that our animal numbers will increase in the future." Grazing period shortened Breeder Serkan Atabay also said that they experienced serious droughts in their villages in the past. Atabay, who stated that they had difficulty feeding their animals despite long grazing periods in previous years, said: "Even though we graze the sheep for 8 hours a day in other areas, they are not satisfied. Now, we can feed the animals and take them home with just 2 hours of grazing a day. The drought was severe; there wasn't even a root of grass left here. The animals couldn't find anything to eat. They were just walking back and forth on dry land. We are pleased with this shrub. The animals' satiety rate is high. There is an increase in milk production. Even their wool has become shiny." Aykut Erduru, who has been raising small livestock in Burunoba village for 10 years, stated that he experienced positive changes in his animals in a short time and that he was very pleased with the project.