THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
Related Articles
Sixteen working groups have finalized their reports at the fourth Council of Agriculture and Forestry, laying the groundwork for policies that will steer the country’s rural development and agricultural reform for decades to come.
The council brought together academics, farmers, producer unions, cooperatives, non-governmental organizations, private sector representatives and public officials to address the structural and operational challenges in the agriculture and forestry sectors.
Including more than 2,000 strategic proposals, their reports emphasize long-term strategies to enhance competitiveness, ensure sustainable resource use and promote rural revitalization, particularly through youth and female participation.
One of the council’s main focuses was transforming agricultural structures in line with climate resilience and sustainability. The working groups highlighted that productivity and sustainability cannot be achieved without resolving land ownership issues and ensuring the integrity of agricultural enterprises.
In livestock production, workforce shortages were flagged as a pressing issue, particularly in labor-intensive tasks like grazing and milking. In forestry, building resilience to climate change and maintaining healthy ecosystems were defined as critical priorities.
Proposals included developing attractive incentives for young people and women to remain in or return to rural areas and engage in agricultural activities.
The council outlined several other key recommendations.
These included completing soil classification studies and creating land-use capability maps, establishing an effective monitoring system for irrigation and developing a national soil database to track agricultural land productivity.
The working groups also called for a detailed inventory of pasturelands to prevent overgrazing and proposed the use of satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle technology to monitor these areas more efficiently.
The council’s final declaration will be publicly announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on May 14, World Farmers’ Day…
www.hurriyetdailynews.com
