Abstract:

Among medicinal and aromatic plants, thyme is a plant that can be consumed both directly and used extensively by many branches of industry. However, studies on the economy of thyme are extremely limited. The study was carried out with the aim of filling the gap in this regard with a field-based study. In this study, thyme production, marketing, problems and solution suggestions are discussed in general and analyzed with the help of data compiled from 256 producers in the case of Denizli, where production is most intense. The majority of the enterprises have thyme production areas of more than 30 decares. In Denizli, where a significant part of thyme production takes place, the average yield per unit area remains low. Focusing on the development of cultural practices and high-yielding varieties in thyme cultivation in research and development (R&D) studies will shed light on the the issues of increasing the amount of product per decare and also the effective use of resources for producers. In addition to all these, it is thought that necessary publication activities to raise the awareness of the producers and quality training for the producers about the production process will be effective in the development of the thyme sector. When the thyme marketing channel in the research area is examined, it is seen that the thyme plant is purchased from the producer either locally or by huge companies. Despite the increase in thyme prices in recent years, the price still cannot meet price expections of the producers and despite the concern that the price will decrease further, contract production and cooperative formation may be a solution for producers.

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