Grain and Citrus Production Declines in Turkey, While Potato Production Rises
The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) has published the 2024 Plant Production Statistics report. The report indicates significant changes in plant production. While there was a decrease in field crop production, an increase was recorded in the production of fruits and vegetables.
Vegetable production increased by 5.6%, whereas field crops saw a decrease of 5%. Cereal production dropped by 7.5%, falling to 39 million tons. Potato production saw a rise of 21.1%, reaching 6.9 million tons. Production of mandarin and orange decreased by over 30%. The production of ornamental plants declined by 6.1%.
In 2024, a decrease of 5% was observed in field crops, while increases of 5.6% in vegetables and 2.1% in fruits, beverages, and spice plants were recorded. According to these figures, the estimated production amount of cereals and other plant products was approximately 75.5 million tons, vegetables at 33.6 million tons, and fruits, beverages, and spice plants at 28 million tons.
Decline in cereal production Cereal production volumes decreased by 7.5% compared to the previous year, dropping to around 39 million tons. These decreases were particularly noted in the production of wheat, barley, rye, oats, and corn. Wheat production fell by 5.5% to 20.8 million tons; barley production decreased by 12% to 8.1 million tons; rye production was down by 15.7% to 257 thousand tons; oat production fell by 4.9% to 390 thousand tons, and corn production decreased by 10% to 8.1 million tons.
Mixed results in legumes and oilseeds In dried legumes, chickpea, dry bean, and red lentil production stood at 575 thousand tons, 279 thousand tons, and 405 thousand tons respectively. Significant production increases were particularly observed in tuber plants, notably in potato production. Potato production increased by 21.1% compared to the previous year, reaching 6.9 million tons. In oilseeds, a 30.9% increase was observed in soybean production, reaching 180 thousand tons, while sunflower production saw a slight decrease of 0.1%, totaling approximately 2.2 million tons.
Noticeable increase in vegetable production In vegetable product production, a 5.6% increase was observed in 2024 compared to the previous year, yielding approximately 33.6 million tons. Production increases were noted in certain vegetables such as tomatoes and bell peppers. Tomato production increased by 9.9% and bell pepper production by 21.1%, while a decrease was recorded in products like cucumbers and white cabbage. There was a 1.2% rise in dry onion production, but cucumber production experienced a decline of 6.9%.
Diversity in fruit production In fruit, beverage, and spice plant production, a 2.1% increase was recorded in 2024, amounting to approximately 28 million tons. Notable increases were seen in pomegranate and grape production. Pomegranate production rose by 10.1%, and grape production increased by 2%. However, apple and strawberry production saw decreases of 4% and 10.4% respectively. Significant drops were particularly evident in citrus fruits, including mandarin, orange, and lemon production.
Decrease in ornamental plant production In 2024, ornamental plant production decreased by 6.1% compared to the previous year. It was reported that cut flowers accounted for 69.5% of ornamental plant production, while other ornamental plants had a share of 30.5%. Cut flower production saw a slight decline of 0.1%, while production of other ornamental plants decreased by 17.4%. This overall decrease in ornamental plants could be interpreted as an indication of certain challenges within the sector.