THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Turkey Seed Growers Association (TÜRKTOB) Chairman Savaş Akcan said, “The pandemic has revealed the importance of self-sufficiency and being nationalised. What if the protectionism policies increase worldwide and those countries do not sell? Our work becomes more difficult with the farmers, who are trapped in production with wrong agricultural policies inside.”
TÜRKTOB is an association representing 7 sectors under the main heading of seed, seedling, fruit nursery and ornamental plants. Stating that while the pandemic was added to the already existing ones, the problems were intensified, Akcan noted, “There are steps to be done separately for each sub-sector but in general I have to underline of the need for the promotion of agriculture. Unfortunately the discourse of incentives hangs in the air.”
Emphasizing that agriculture is a “supra-political” issue, Akcan added, “The state should support production by giving farmers a guarantee of purchase. It should be said, ‘Do not be afraid to produce, we are behind you’, but there must be action for this as well.”
Akcan concluded, “For example, it was announced that there would be a purchase guarantee for agricultural products, but it was not specified how much to buy. So there is promise, no result. It is politically nice maneuvers to come out on TV and say ‘we have supported agriculture so much’ but it does not benefit the farmer. The Ministry should go down to the field and get information. As a result the state must decide whether to save agriculture or not. But I can’t see such a trend right now.”
