Ünaldı: Turkey’s vast agricultural resources must be used efficiently

 Ünaldı drew attention to the failure of the modern state to serve as a role model with respect to agricultural issues, pointing out that Brazil, Spain, Israel and Greece have made huge progress thanks to smart planning policies. Noting that Syria has taken measures to expand its nut plantations, Ünaldı stated that Turkey had lost its advantage in the production of olives, hazelnuts and peanuts.

He said public institutions should make recommendations to people and launch projects that will increase productivity, but the state prefers inaction to proactive action. Turkish villagers have failed to make the transition to becoming farmers, Ünaldı said, adding that the Ministry of Agricultural should take the lead in increasing production to meet market demands.

“The rate of productivity is low in Turkey because our farmers are not yet professional. Farming is equated with being a villager, but this is not how it should be. The state should take measures to train young farmers to do this as a professional job. The state should also act to prepare markets based on the amount of supplies. Otherwise, we will continue to suffer from low rates of productivity. The world standard for producing honey is 50 kilos of honey per hive whereas it is 17 in Turkey. Sadly, Turkish agriculture ranks at the bottom of the table in productivity,” Ünaldı said. “Germany, Italy, England and France enjoy high wheat productivity -- 500-700 kilograms per acre -- despite not being agricultural countries. This rate is 190 in Turkey, yet these countries still do research to increase their productivity.”

 The small scale of agriculture in Turkey is the biggest issue that the country is currently dealing with, Ünaldı argued, noting that it is worrying to see that this still remains an issue in 2009.

 Despite high levels of water consumption, irrigation is still inefficient and unproductive, and Turkey has become dependent on imports because of its inability to deal with low productivity, soil erosion and wildfires, Ünaldı said. Turkey didn't start its research into advanced irrigation techniques until as late as the 1980s. “Turkey was extensively occupied with bureaucracy whereas Israel made progress to become a fairly developed country with respect to advanced irrigation methods. Likewise, it enjoyed high productivity levels in the field of livestock production. However, Turkey failed to preserve many native plants. Unfortunately, a number of tomato, watermelon and eggplant species have disappeared from the country.”

Turkey could become agricultural superpower

Pointing out that the agricultural sector is being exploited by politicians for votes, Ünaldı argued that Turkey could become a superpower in agriculture if it paid greater attention to the sector.

Recalling that all agricultural reforms in the world started with the earth and soil, Ünaldı believes that Turkey will forge ahead in the field when it makes the transition to large agricultural establishments. The law of inheritance needs to be amended in Turkey to make sure that the average size of agricultural enterprises catches up with European standards, he said. “When you do this, agriculture will become a profession rather than something that villagers are occupied with. The farmers who will make more money owing to greater productivity will develop the conditions and circumstances of agricultural competition. The farmer who knows his land and knows how to use water more effectively will seek to maximize his production and market his products. This will eventually mean the growth of rural agriculture and because it will lead to further employment, Turkey will resolve one of its biggest issues,” he said.

 Turkey would dramatically increase its agricultural productivity and water efficiency if scientific agricultural methods were employed, as was the case in Malatya, where Ünaldı previously worked. He argued that the success story in that city can easily be duplicated in other parts of the country. “Turkey's water resources have the capacity to irrigate greater amounts of lands through a simple change to the existing methods and mechanisms.”

 Ünaldı said 75 percent of water resources are used inefficiently in Turkey, leading to the extensive loss of water supplies and erosion as well as the destruction of the earth's composition. Scientific irrigation methods can easily remedy this situation.

Orchards

Ünaldı recalled that the creation of orchards had been another success during his time in Malatya and argued that all parts of Turkey were suitable for orchards.

 Land at higher altitudes is more suitable for fruit production whereas low-lying areas are more suitable for agriculture. “It is possible to convert bare land to forest through establishing orchards on higher land, and then you will have the opportunity to use the lower and flat parts of the land for agriculture, eventually saving you from agricultural imports.” Unused land would become valuable after the implementation of this project, Ünaldı explained, underlining that Turkey should consider this option.