Türkiye's policies on increasing and facilitating agricultural production will be put into action and a water law will be drafted, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı said as the country prepares for challenges inflicted by climate change.
“Problems such as climate change, population growth, geopolitical risks, natural disasters and epidemics have rendered the agriculture sector a strategic area. Moreover, since the pandemic, food nationalism, protectionist tendencies in food trade and monopolization have been added to our agenda. We define this new paradigm as the ‘new normal,'” Yumaklı told media representatives in the capital Ankara.
Reiterating that the global population is rising every year, Yumaklı pointed out the increasing need for food as an object of national security in the future.
“The focal point of our projects will continue to be production. Decreasing the input cost for processes from the farmland to the dinner table, increasing quality and productivity, and digitalizing agriculture while simplifying administration are our main priorities,” he continued.
The minister underlined that Türkiye has great potential in terms of plant, animal and water products and is self-sufficient in many products while it has the potential for more. “We also have a strategic position in terms of geographical location and proximity to possible markets. In light of all these parameters, our goal is to strengthen the producer and protect the consumer.”
Regarding the government’s agricultural aid, the minister said that support will be improved to strengthen productive guidance while focusing on efficiency.
Most recently, the ministry announced last month that a total of 96 agricultural support payments of TL 144,000 ($5,325) would be given to farmers.
“Another issue is the popularization of agricultural insurance, especially in a season when the very serious effects of climate change are being experienced in the agricultural fields. Therefore, we need to spread the culture of agricultural insurance,” Yumaklı said, adding that although the state meets the needs of farmers who are negatively affected, the policy to cover that damage is extremely important to ensure sustainability. “This is why we consider it very important to expand agricultural insurance to stabilize the farmer's income.”
The minister also said that the Pasture Law in Türkiye should be updated and that the ministry is working on it.
As urbanization has led many people to turn away from agricultural businesses, the minister highlighted that the ministry will work on an initiative to increase the number of women and youth in the sector.
The increased engagement of women and youth participation in the agricultural business could contribute to the digitization of agriculture and innovative solutions while empowering women.
Speaking on future projects, Yumaklı underlined that Türkiye does not currently have a water law. He added that in the face of climate change, a water law should be prepared as soon as possible and that the ministry has started to work on the matter.
“Unfortunately, there has been an exit from agricultural production not only in Türkiye but also around the world recently. I would like to say that we will always raise this issue. We will implement projects that will definitely increase the number of women and youth,” Yumaklı said.
Türkiye is located in the Mediterranean basin, one of the regions greatly affected by the climate crisis. In addition, precipitation is expected to decrease by close to 30% by the end of this century. Reduced rainfall will create a significant water shortage for most metropolitan cities.
Major Turkish cities, including Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir, highly depend on freshwater reservoirs.
Agriculture is estimated to account for around 70% of the country’s water consumption.
“We aim to make smart irrigation investments, modern irrigation systems and reduce water losses,” Yumaklı said, indicating that water loss during the transfer from the dam to the farmland will be reduced. The fact that farmlands in Türkiye are parceled out also constitutes a significant challenge as costs increase and efficiency decreases, which is why land consolidation is another topic the ministry will focus on.
"There are 14.3 million hectares of land in our country suitable for consolidation. Consolidation started in 1961, and it still continues in our country. By 2023, 6.8 million hectares of land have been registered, and our goal for the end of the year will be to register 500,000 hectares of agricultural land," he explained.
“Our country is among those under water stress with 1,313 cubic meters of usable water consumed per person per year. Considering both our population growth and the abundance of areas where water is used inefficiently, we estimate that this will have to decrease to 1,200 cubic meters in 2030. If this drops below 1,000 cubic meters per capita use, then we will face water scarcity.”
Yumaklı also pointed out that Türkiye launched a water efficiency campaign led by first lady Emine Erdogan to tackle the water shortage crisis. The campaign aims to prevent water loss in homes, workplaces and industry, establish legal infrastructure, use modern irrigation methods in agriculture and raise public awareness in the country.
Türkiye is also working on establishing Agricultural Specialized Organized Industrial Zones (TDİOSB) based on geothermal energy in 100 new locations.
These special industrial zones are areas where facilities for generating goods and services of businesses that work on animal or plant production are found.
“To date, 39 agricultural organized industrial zones in 41 provinces have been given legal status by our ministry. Infrastructure works were completed in 10 of these and offered to investors.”
The minister also announced the project for the world’s biggest TDİOSB based on geothermal energy, which will be built on 8,000 decares in western Balıkesir province’s Gönen.
“Of course, in addition to geothermal, wind-solar and biomass energies, which are among the great advantages of our country, will also be used in the project.”
