THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Press release…
“If young people do not plough our land, our future is at risk!”
April, 2025…
ANKARA- Union of Turkish Agricultural Chambers (TZOB) President Şemsi Bayraktar made a video press statement on what needs to be done to prevent farmers, whose average age has risen to 59, from leaving agriculture and to avoid problems in food supply security.
Stating that 82 percent of the producers are men and 18 percent are women, Bayraktar said, “The average age of our population working in the agricultural sector is increasing every year.
Bayraktar continued his statement as follows;
“As of 2024, the average age of our farmers increased to 59. The average age of male farmers in our country is 58 and the average age of female farmers is 61. While 35 percent of our producers are over the age of 65, 35 percent are between the ages of 50-64. The rate of young farmers between the ages of 18-32 is only 5 percent. This situation shows that our young people are rapidly moving away from agriculture and rural life.”
“Supporting our women farmers is of great importance”
“The average age of our women farmers is quite high at 61. Support should be increased for our women to take a more active role in agriculture. Our women farmers have a great potential for the future of agriculture. In 2024, the number of farmers aged 18-24 decreased by 6 percent and the number of farmers aged 33-49 decreased by 4 percent. Our young people of marriageable age have come to prefer working for minimum wage in the cities to farming in their villages,” Bayraktar added.
“We must take urgent steps to bring young people into agriculture”
Pointing out that it should be facilitated for young people to acquire agricultural land, Bayraktar explained, “For this, low-interest loans and grant support should be surged. Special funds should be created for agricultural entrepreneurship. Infrastructure, education, health and social facilities should be improved in rural areas and agriculture-based industrial investments should be supported.”
“Agricultural co-operatives should be strengthened and youth participation in these structures should be encouraged. New programmes combining agriculture and technology should be developed in agricultural high schools and universities. Young people should be trained in modern agricultural techniques and entrepreneurship. Social awareness on how critical agriculture is for our future must be created urgently,” Bayraktar concluded…
