Climate change drying up Turkish agricultural production

Reuters/Umit Bektas

• Planting ban in Seyhan region
• 11% harvest decline predicted
• Average crop losses may hit 40%

Drought conditions across much of Turkey have led to authorities in one prime agricultural region banning new crop plantings.

There are rising concerns across local government, academia and the farming industry that climate-driven water shortages are dramatically weakening food security in the country.

In late July, agricultural authorities in the Seyhan region of the southern province of Adana issued a circular warning that because of dwindling reserves, farmers in some districts should not plant autumn crops as no water could be released for irrigation. 

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Although some water would be made available for citrus and other fruit trees, the needs for seasonal crops such as soya, potatoes, onions, garlic and other vegetables could not be met, authorities said. 

The region had already experienced water restrictions, limiting releases from dams for irrigation, but the onset of climate change seems to be accelerating, according to Cahit İncefikir, spokesman for the Agriculture Platform for Adana, a growers’ lobby group.

“We knew this was coming but with climate change the drought this year was so bad that what was anticipated would happen next year came a year early,” İncefikir told AGBI. “Climate change has already hit production, with farmers struggling to make returns on their costs and now they tell them to not plant.”

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Another crop to feel the impact is wheat. The Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture issued a report on July 24 forecasting the Turkish harvest would be down at least 11 percent on last year’s total to 18.75 million tonnes. 

The FAS report said dry conditions had caused yield and quality losses in several critical production areas, and especially in Central Anatolia and the Aegean region.

The effects of climate change are also increasing the use of pesticides in Turkey, as growers try to combat higher levels of insect and blight infestations, said Professor Cem Özkan, of Ankara University’s Department of Agriculture.

“Despite fighting plant diseases, hazardous insects and weeds we still have 30 percent losses in crops on average,” he said. “With climate change as well, crop losses can be up to 40 percent.”

There is another cost to Turkey of using more pesticides.

It often results in an increase in exports being rejected by international markets because of high levels of chemical contamination, said Özkan: “Turkey spends around $600 million on these chemicals and then loses $10 billion on its food exports due to high levels of residue.”

Agriculture’s contribution to the Turkish economy has been declining since the turn of the century. It fell from 9.5 percent of GDP 20 years ago to 5.9 percent in 2023, according to state statistics agency Turkstat.

As climate impacts worsen, there are fears this decline could be even sharper in the coming years.