THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Press release…
What happened in agriculture in 2023, what does the sector expect from 2024?
In the evaluation of 2023 in the agricultural sector, it was underlined that there was a spike in crop production last year due to good weather conditions and that farmers who continued their production despite difficult conditions contributed to the national economy. TZOB said, “We have problems, especially the high cost of inputs and marketing problems. If these problems are solved and sufficient support is provided, our farmers will not break away from production and we will not have any problems in production in 2024 and the following years.”
Şemsi Bayraktar, President of the Union of Turkish Agricultural Chambers (TZOB), evaluated the report of TZOB, which includes the evaluation of 2023 and expectations for 2024, with a press release.
2023 Year Overview…
The report emphasized that in the century since the establishment of the Republic of Türkiye, the agricultural sector has endured various difficulties and has been proud of the technological developments and record productions in agricultural production:
“On the other hand, the structural problems that continued this year, production with high costs, loans used with high interest rates by farmers who could not use state-supported loans, export restrictions, problems in price and marketing have forced our producers. In 2023, we had producers who suffered victimisation due to falling producer prices in some crops in our agricultural production.”
“Planned production in agriculture should be based on incentives”
“With the amendment made in the Agricultural Law, the legal infrastructure for production planning was established. However, in order for the long-awaited production planning to be applicable, this system should be based on incentives rather than penalties. The recommendation of planting the planned product and additional support in case of planting this crop, the guarantee that the product will be marketed at its value and that the farmer will receive an income equivalent to the product he/she gives up should be brought to the forefront.”
Farmer Registration System…
Pointing out that another important change this year was made in the Farmer Registration System (ÇKS) Regulation, Bayraktar explained, “The amendment paved the way for the lands that cannot be cultivated due to ownership and inheritance problems or that cannot be registered in the ÇKS even if they are cultivated, to be registered in the ÇKS and brought into agricultural production and to have agricultural insurance (TARSİM). With this amendment, it is envisaged that approximately 3 million hectares of agricultural land will be registered and production planning will be carried out in a healthier way.”
“Sustainability in production is important for food safety”
“Today, the need for sufficient food for the increasing population, the prominence of food nationalism and the struggles to ensure food security have become more important this year in our country as in other countries of the world. Countries have imposed export bans one after another in order to provide food for their citizens. Now, producing to ensure food security and ensuring continuity in production has become one of the priorities of every country,” Bayraktar added.
Indicating that in 2023, high production costs caused by input, logistics and labour prices, which continued to boost, made it clear that products will not reach consumers cheaply, Bayraktar highlighted, “Despite all these negativities in the world and in our country, farmers continued to produce this year.”
As a result;
“In 2023, there was an increase in crop production with good weather conditions. Our farmers continued their production despite the difficult conditions and contributed to the economy of our country. We have problems that need to be solved, especially the cost of inputs and marketing problems. If these problems are solved and sufficient support is provided, our farmers will not break away from production and we will not have any problems in production in 2024 and the following years,” Bayraktar concluded…
