Turkey's Agricultural Output Reaches $83.2 Billion
· AA Tarım & Ekonomi
Speaking at the Foodist Istanbul Fair, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı announced that Turkey has risen to seventh place globally with an agricultural output of $83.2 billion, and exports have reached $32.6 billion.
Turkey's Role in the Global Food Crisis
Foodist Istanbul Fair, which opened its doors at the Istanbul Tüyap Congress and Fair Center, is being held with the participation of over 1000 domestic and international companies. Speaking at the fair's opening ceremony, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı emphasized that the global climate crisis, extreme weather events, and disruptions in international supply chains have transformed the agriculture and food sector into a strategic area. Highlighting that agriculture and food have reached a dimension of national sovereignty, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı stated:
"Agriculture and food are directly a matter of national security and survival today. Indeed, the rising food nationalism worldwide and the desire of countries to protect their own resources are the clearest indicators of this."
The mega-event, held in a 120,000 square meter fairground in Istanbul, is hosting approximately 70,000 professional visitors from 150 countries.
Record in Agricultural Output and Exports
Drawing attention to the projections of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Minister İbrahim Yumaklı announced that their goal is to achieve higher yields from unit areas. Citing World Bank data, Yumaklı stated that Turkey's share in the global economy is around 1.35%, while this rate reaches 1.75% in agricultural added value. Minister Yumaklı stated that Turkey, which ranked 12th in the world in 2002, has now risen to 7th place, announcing that agricultural output reached its highest level in the history of the Republic in 2025, amounting to $83.2 billion. Yumaklı reported that the country provides uninterrupted food supply to 86 million citizens and over 60 million foreign tourists, while earning $32.6 billion in export revenue by sending 2,226 different agricultural and food products to 185 countries.
New Markets Opened Through Agricultural Diplomacy
Stating that they are conducting comprehensive agricultural diplomacy to bring the labor of Turkish farmers to world markets, Minister Yumaklı announced that direct entry into the Chinese market has been secured for salmon, gilt-head bream, sea bass, and almonds. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, noting that the poultry export process to China is also progressing rapidly, said:
"We are continuing our technical work to make our cherry exports more effective. We are continuing our efforts to open up new markets for our products such as figs, grapes, pomegranates, and apples. On the other hand, we are accelerating the approval processes for our businesses in many areas, from fresh fruits and vegetables to aquaculture, dairy products, and poultry, and we are continuing our efforts to strengthen our exporters' position in the Russian market."
New Transit Corridor to Gulf Countries
Yumaklı announced that the logistics infrastructure is being strengthened to maintain the competitive advantage of exporters in the global market, and that the Turkey-Syria-Jordan-Saudi Arabia transit road line became operational as of April 15, 2026. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı stated that the new corridor significantly reduces transit time, especially for the transportation of fresh fruits and vegetables with short shelf lives and high sensitivity, and said:
"We want to make Turkey one of the world's important production and export centers for quality, reliable, and competitive food, by making the best use of the opportunities in its geography."
Organized Agricultural Zones are Growing Rapidly
Minister Yumaklı stated that they continue to invest in Organized Agricultural Zones (OIZs) to strengthen the integration of production and industry, and that geothermal greenhouses and modern livestock facilities are accelerating the development process. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı provided the following information, announcing that they have granted legal entity status to 46 OIZ projects to date:
"Production has started in 16 OIZs. We will bring 4 more OIZs into production by the end of the year. On the other hand, with grants and incentives in rural development investments, we support investments in various areas of our food industry, from production to processing and packaging in rural areas. With these investments, we will increase the number of our globally recognized brands, just as with our 46 products with EU geographical indication registration."
QR Code and Inspection for Food Safety
Minister Yumaklı reminded that they have implemented the QR code application so that consumers can transparently review the past inspection data of the food they purchase, and stated that official inspections in mass catering and retail sales points have been increased. Yumaklı noted that every stage of the food chain, from the field and greenhouse to wholesale markets and sales shelves, is meticulously monitored, and stated that they have reduced chemical use with the B-Prescription system and biological control applications, and ensured the international traceability of Turkish food products with QR code health certificates and approved business systems.
Rapid Decline in Export Notifications to Europe
Minister Yumaklı stated that the strict rules applied in animal and plant health provide confidence in exports, and reported that notifications from the European Union's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) have decreased by 75% in the last 4 years. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı made the following assessment regarding the issue:
"We have made significant progress with the measures we have taken, especially the B-Prescription. We continue our policies that prioritize biological and biotechnological control over chemical methods in pest management. The 75% decrease in the number of RASFF notifications in the last 4 years shows that we are on the right track in this area."
Strong Future with Contract Farming Model
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, who advocates that the contract farming model, which minimizes raw material supply risks for industrialists and opens a secure market door for farmers, is the cornerstone of the sector, made the following call:
"We need to adopt the contract farming model much more to reduce the risks faced by our industrialists in raw material supply and to bring producers and industrialists together on a stronger ground. I see contract farming as a safe haven for both our producers and our industrialists."
The Foodist Istanbul Fair, attended by over 2,000 international buyer delegations from 60 countries, will continue to host its visitors until September 4.