TZOB/Bayraktar: Urgent Payments Required for Producers to Continue Their Operations
Forex - The Chairman of the Union of Turkish Agricultural Chambers (TZOB), Şemsi Bayraktar, assessed the damage caused by recent natural disasters to production in a video press statement. He emphasized, "The number and intensity of natural disasters in our country are increasing every day. This situation affects our farmers, who rely heavily on natural conditions for production." He continued his statement as follows:
"The number of natural disasters that occurred in 2023 has increased threefold compared to ten years ago, reaching 1,475. In the first eight months of 2024, there were 900 natural disasters. Of these disasters, 36% were heavy rain and floods, 22% were hail, and 21% were storms and tornadoes.
In the Bafra district of Samsun, heavy rains in August and September led to flooding. The inundation harmed crops like cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage. This disaster not only wasted the efforts of our farmers, but also caused an increase in product prices."
"Our producers are waiting for their wounds to be healed"
"In October, there was a hail disaster in Biga, Çanakkale, affecting 45,000 decares of land, harming all rice fields. After the event, we visited Biga to meet with our farmers. However, according to the information we received from our Agricultural Chamber, there has not yet been any development to help our farmers recover in the one and a half months since the disaster. Support payments must be made urgently for our producers to continue their production.
The heavy rain and storm experienced in Antalya and Mersin have devastated the greenhouses that serve agricultural production throughout the year, causing significant damage. Some greenhouses were flooded due to the heavy rain, followed by a storm and tornado that reached speeds of 100 km/h, damaging greenhouse structures, crops, and solar panels."
"The natural disasters occurring in provinces where greenhouse production is carried out are alarming"
"65% of the covered cultivation areas in Turkey are located in Antalya and Mersin. Additionally, 68% of the vegetables produced under cover are grown in these two provinces. Therefore, the disasters occurring in Antalya and Mersin during this period, when field production has ended and fruit and vegetable prices have risen, are concerning.
Unfortunately, the measures to be taken against natural disasters remain limited and do not provide complete protection. This is where the importance of agricultural insurance becomes evident. Although the number of insured farmers has increased due to state-supported agricultural insurances, this is not sufficient.
According to the information from our Agricultural Chambers in Antalya and Mersin, very few of our farmers engaged in greenhouse production have been able to obtain insurance. Despite the facilitation efforts, premiums are still high for our farmers. Therefore, state support should be increased to bring premiums down to a more reasonable level for our farmers.
Additionally, another issue faced by our greenhouse producers related to insurance is the unintentional land shifts that occur in greenhouse plots. This situation prevents farmers from registering in the ministry's recording system and consequently from obtaining agricultural insurance. This issue should be resolved by acknowledging the same plots that have been insured for years as a reference."
"Support must reach our producers in a timely manner. Late support is not support"
"To increase our farmers' interest in insurance, their demands and expectations should be taken into greater account. Our primary goal should be to keep our farmers engaged in agricultural production and safeguard the country’s food supply.
Currently, farmers engaged in agricultural production are financially shaken by natural disasters that can happen and end within hours, while they are already under heavy debt. Therefore, the aid provided after natural disasters should be increased, and our farmers should be supported to remain standing.
It is also important that a product is not only available but also affordable for consumers. Thus, additional support should be offered to farmers during such natural disasters, which can exacerbate food inflation.
It should not be forgotten that it is very difficult to bring back a farmer once they are disconnected from production. Support must reach our producers in a timely manner. Late support is not support."