Agriculture
From The Report: Turkey 2012
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Despite declines in the agriculture sector’s share of GDP since the early 2000s, Turkey still has prominent enough resources and the right climate for agriculture to be a leading sector of the economy. Turkey is the world’s seventh-biggest agricultural producer. While production is somewhat restrained by GMO regulations, the country remains ahead of EU competitors in this regard and is the Middle East’s biggest food exporter. Turkey attracts agricultural investment, with the significant potential for small-scale farms to consolidate on the back of the government’s investment plans. While agriculture’s contribution to the economy is still not ideal, because of trade- and production-distorting measures, with continued research and development there is substantial room to improve efficiency and output.

The agriculture chapter has an interview with Recep Konuk, the President and Chairman of Konya Şeker.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

New pastures: A varied climate and fertile soil make the country a regional breadbasket
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Grain has a long history in Turkey. In the foothills of the Karacada ğ Mountains in the south-east, wild grass that is genetically identical to the first grains domesticated 11,000 years ago still grows. Today, agriculture remains a cornerstone of the economy, employing a quarter of the workforce and contributing more than 8% to GDP, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). Those numbers show a decline from a decade ago, when farming accounted for 10% of GDP and employed…

Interview

OBG talks to Recep Konuk, Chairman, Konya Şeker
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Interview: Recep Konuk Will greater local manufacturing, mechanisation and new techniques in agriculture lead to consolidation and unemployment? RECEP KONUK: In 2011 agriculture accounted for 8.4% of GDP and 25% of employment. In 2002, those numbers were 10.3% and 35% respectively, so there has been some decline in the role of agriculture. Turkey has a dynamic, fast-growing economy. As a natural consequence of this process, sectors such as industry, services and tourism have above average growth.…

Analysis

Out in the country: Gulf states look to acquire farmland to meet growing demand at home
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Little grows in the arid countries of the Gulf without large quantities of expensive water. The solution may lie in the lush pastures of nearby Turkey, where Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE plan to spend billions of dollars to buy or lease farmland. These investments, they hope, will allow them to become self-sufficient in terms of food. Some argue, however, that the investments may undermine Turkey’s own food security. At 23m ha, Turkey’s arable land is twice the size of Greece’s entire…