Investigation of potential contribution of laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) production to rural economy and profile, problems and expectations of laurel producer (Case of Bursa province)

Laurel (Laurus nobilis L.), one of the important medicinal and aromatic plants of our country, is a non-wood forest product with high economic value at local and national level. The fact that laurel is the subject to export has resulted in becoming a tool for reducing rural poverty and increasing economic development. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the profile of laurel producer and contribution of the laurel to the rural economy, to determine the problems in the laurel production process and to reveal the expectations of the forest villagers in Bursa, where laurel is produced. Correlation analysis was conducted in order to determine the variables that affect the incomes of the households from laurel. In order to estimate the income of the households from the laurel through the factors affecting these incomes, the stepwise regression analysis was used. A one-way anova was applied to investigate whether the income from laurel was significantly differed by the sales method and the laurel production stage in which the villager took part and to test whether the prices differed according to the intermediaries. In 2021, laurel contributed an average of 10680 Turkish Lira (TL) (1205 US$) per year to the households dealing with laurels in Bursa and made a total economic contribution of 6,1 million TL (688488 US$) to the forest villagers.