TZOB General President Şemsi Bayraktar has highlighted the escalating threat of natural disasters, noting that 1,254 such events occurred in 2024. “As we enter 2025, these calamities are continuing to grow in both frequency and severity,” he stated. Emphasizing that a devastating frost has impacted 65 provinces across Turkey, Bayraktar conveyed the grim reality: “Regrettably, a multitude of our crops have sustained total losses, with damage reaching 100% in many cases.”
**“AGRICULTURE IS PERCEIVED AS SIMPLE, BUT THE REALITY IS FAR DIFFERENT”**
Countering the common perception of farming as an easy occupation, Bayraktar explained that the profession is fraught with immense challenges. He elaborated that producers are simultaneously contending with natural calamities and systemic structural problems. “Engaging in agricultural production has become exceptionally difficult. On one hand, our farmers are striving to maintain output while battling disasters like drought, frost, hail, floods, and tornadoes.”
**“INADEQUATE PLANNING, SOARING COSTS, AND SMALL-SCALE FARMS”**
In addition to natural disasters, Bayraktar noted that farmers are also grappling with insufficient planning within agricultural policies and the burden of high input costs. He stressed that the prevalence of small, fragmented landholdings significantly hampers productivity. “Currently, our average farm size is 70 decares, and even that is divided into 11 separate parcels. Achieving economically viable production on these holdings is extraordinarily challenging,” he warned.
**“DROUGHT LOOMS AS TURKEY RISKS BECOMING WATER-POOR”**
Looking to the future, Bayraktar issued a stark warning about the severe threat of drought that Turkey is set to face. He pointed to the rapid depletion of the nation’s water resources: “Today, our per capita water availability is 1300 cubic meters. This figure could plummet to 1000 cubic meters within the next 5 to 6 years. Turkey is on the verge of becoming a water-poor country.”
**“YOUTH ARE LEAVING AGRICULTURE, LEADING TO AN AGING POPULATION”**
Bayraktar expressed deep concern over the aging demographic of the agricultural workforce, as younger generations are increasingly abandoning the sector. This trend poses a significant threat to future production capabilities. The data reveals that the proportion of young people aged 18-32 in farming has dropped to a mere 5%, pushing the average age of the agricultural population up to 59. “How can we sustain production with such an elderly workforce?” Bayraktar questioned.
**“FARMERS REQUIRE CASH, SUPPORT, AND INSURANCE COVERAGE”**
Detailing the aftermath of the frost disaster, Bayraktar explained that some trees were damaged down to the trunk, which could render them unable to bear fruit for several years. He underscored the farmers’ urgent need for immediate financial support. “Our farmers will not generate any income from their products this year. They are requesting the deferral of their debts. Their need for cash must be met,” he declared. Bayraktar also highlighted the critical importance of the TARSİM insurance system, adding that damage assessment processes need to be executed fairly and swiftly.
**“HIGH SGK PREMIUMS ARE FORCING FARMERS OUT OF THE SYSTEM”**
The TZOB president revealed that farmers are being compelled to leave the social security system, creating a substantial social security gap. “The number of farmers, which was 1 million in 2021, has fallen to 410,000 in 2024. Farmers are exiting the SGK system. As the minimum wage has risen, Bağ-Kur premiums have approached 9,000 liras, an amount they simply cannot afford.”
**“WE MUST PIVOT OUR FOCUS TO AGRICULTURE”**
In his closing remarks, Bayraktar asserted that decisive action is required to secure the future of agricultural production and food safety, underlining that agriculture is a strategic sector for the nation. “We are compelled to turn our sails toward agriculture. We must support the people working in the agricultural sector and ensure they can remain in production.” He mentioned that he and his team had visited 32 provinces to assess the producers’ problems on the ground and had relayed their findings to the relevant authorities in Ankara. “May God protect us from another disaster like this. I extend my best wishes to all our farmers,” he concluded.