Turkey reports record agricultural output and strategic investments

Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı has highlighted significant advancements in the nation's agricultural sector during recent visits to Aydın and the Foodist Istanbul International Food and Beverage Fair. Yumaklı reported that Turkey's agricultural production value has reached a historic high of $83.2 billion, elevating the country to 7th place globally in agricultural output.

In Aydın, the Minister emphasized the importance of the “4 Efe” products—figs, cotton, olives, and chestnuts—noting that investments in the region have totaled approximately 190 billion lira over the last 24 years. This includes the opening of 199 irrigation facilities, bringing 604,000 decares of land under irrigation. Yumaklı also discussed the critical role of agricultural insurance, noting that during recent droughts, insured farmers were able to recover 75% of their products.

Regarding the fisheries sector, Yumaklı announced a record production of 1.037 million tons last year, contributing $2.3 billion to the economy through exports to nearly 100 countries. He also provided outlooks for fig production, expecting 388,000 tons of fresh figs and 94,000 tons of dried figs by 2026. The Minister warned of rising global “food nationalism” and climate change, stressing that food security must be treated as a matter of national security.