Değirmendere villagers filter salt at the slopes of a mountain!
AHMET BEŞER
BATMAN (DIHA) - Residents in Değirtmendere, Kozluk, Batman, earn their bread by producing salt from salt water coming out of the mounatin across the village; in the 50 pools into which salt water flow the salt is produced after the salty liquid has evaporated and there left salt back. Then, they start filtering the salt arrives at about 20 to 24 tons of salt in production.
Değirmendere with 20 houses is 2 km away from Kozluk, Batman, and there are 200 dwellers in the residence. One of Değirmendere's mos leading character is to be close to salty water sources that emerge from the mountains around the village, whence, to provide a means of existence for inhabitants. The biggest means of subsistence, salt, comes on after salt waters collected in the 50 pools built, and it evaporated wholly. Afterwards, the product obtained is filtered and put into sacks by the villagers, who can engage in salt production in only summer.
Furthermore, villagers have some difficulty in transporting their productions; they have to carry them on the shoulder, for there is no road connecting the village to the salt sources in the slopes of the mountain. They shoulder the salt packs till the residence, and after transported to the town center of Kozluk, salt is offered for sale through merchants. The most consumed kind of salt is the one made up in Değirmendere as well as Batman and the counties around. There are two kinds of the salt produced in Değirmendere; the salt of first quality is used in cheese production, food and pickle-making while the salt of second quality which may be spoiled by dust is used in stock farming.
'We alternately collect the salt every day'
Latife Acar, a woman who dwells in Değirmendere, stated they fill up the pools with salt water in summer and then dry it in the sun, and said "What left back after the water has evaporated is salt. We put this product into packs and shoulder till the village. Then, after filtering it we transport the salt packs to Kozluk to offer for sale. All the villagers engage in salt production. Our main means of existence is salt production, thought some kinds of fruit, vegetable are cultivated besides tobacco"
They have schedule to list who will collect the salt on which day, says Acar, the person whose turn comes goes to collect the salt to the evening. The next day another villager goes to gather the salt, that is to say, 'We alternately collect every day', continued Acar.
'20 to 25 tons of salt are produced a year'
Cevat Akın, another villager, pointed out they bring salt out of each pool 7 or 8 times a year, and demonstrated that they get 20 to 25 tons of salt a year. "In addition to increase production, to get a product of better quality we have started to have the grounds of the pools covered with nylon though the salt we sold is quite clean", added Akın.
The salt water filled in the pools dry in 10 to 15 days in summer, said Akın pointing that the whole pools are not same in capacity. "From some pools, only 1 pack of salt accumulates while in some other 3 or 4. We produce nearly 20 to 25 tons of salt a year. Our yields are sold in Kuzluk to be used in cheese production, pickle-making and food. By the way, it is also used in Batman, villages and counties around", said Akın.
'Our salt is pretty well-known in the locale'
Ibrahim Acet, who set up a store in Kozluk to purchaise the salt he produces, said "there is no one that does not know the salt of Değirmendere in this locale, because its quality is known throughout Kozluk. Our customers know us well and come to buy the salt after produced. I sell 100 to 150 kilos of salt per day. What's more, it is pretty clean, as the grounds of the pools have been covered with nylon".
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