GAP Project increases agricultural production in Şanlıurfa

The Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) has significantly transformed agricultural production and product diversity in Şanlıurfa, Turkey. According to Professor Mehmet Ali Çullu of Harran University, the project has achieved its goal of increasing agricultural output by at least fourfold.

Irrigation initiatives have allowed farmers to achieve higher yields on smaller plots of land. Previously, a farmer required 1,000 decares to sustain a livelihood, whereas they can now do so with only 100 decares. The shift from dry farming to irrigated farming has expanded the cultivation of vegetables, fruits, and industrial crops.

Key changes include the widespread adoption of cotton, which is now produced on 65 percent of the GAP area, and the introduction of corn, which was not previously grown in the region. These developments have also stimulated the growth of agriculture-based industries and contributed to the regional economy across the nine provinces coordinated by the GAP Regional Development Administration.