Turkey Rises to Seventh Globally in Agricultural Output
· Sabah Ekonomi
Speaking at the Foodist Istanbul Fair, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı announced that Turkey's agricultural output reached $83.2 billion, elevating the country to seventh place globally, with exports totaling $32.6 billion.
Global Crises and Food Security
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı stated at the opening of the Foodist Istanbul Fair that global climate change, supply chain disruptions, and rising costs have transformed agriculture into a strategic sector. Emphasizing that access to food is becoming increasingly difficult with the growing global population, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı made the following assessment:
"Agriculture and food are directly a matter of national security and survival today. Indeed, rising food nationalism and countries' desire to protect their own resources are the clearest indicators of this."
It was noted that Turkey stands out in this process with its planned production and technology investments.
Agricultural Output Ranks Seventh Globally
Announcing that Turkey has achieved a historic record in agricultural value added, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı stated that according to World Bank data, Turkey's share in the global economy is approximately 1.35%, while its share in agriculture has reached 1.75%. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı made the following remarks regarding production and export figures:
"We will achieve higher yields per unit area. We will place technology and planning at the center of production. We will carry agriculture into the future with a sustainable approach. Amidst all these global storms, Turkey is not a passive observer but a strong actor managing the process, strengthening its infrastructure, and preparing for the future. We have concrete data showing this is not a coincidence. According to 2025 World Bank data, Turkey's share in the global economy is approximately 1.35%. When we look at agriculture, we encounter a much stronger picture. 1.75% of the value added generated by global agricultural production belongs to Turkey. Turkey, which ranked 12th globally in agricultural output in 2002, has now risen to 7th place. Our agricultural output reached $83.2 billion in 2025, marking the highest level in our history. This is the highest level of agricultural output achieved in the history of our Republic. Today, Turkey provides food supply for our 86 million citizens and over 60 million tourists visiting our country. Simultaneously, it exports 2,226 types of agricultural and food products to 185 countries, contributing $32.6 billion to our economy."
New Global Markets Through Agricultural Diplomacy
Stating that they are conducting intensive diplomacy to strengthen the presence of Turkish agricultural products in global markets, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı conveyed his goals with the following words:
"We want the labor of Turkish farmers to be on shelves all over the world. We want to transform Turkey's production power, quality, and reliability into a global brand value."
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı detailed the ongoing efforts, stating that salmon, sea bream, sea bass, and almonds exports to the Chinese market have been opened, and the process for poultry meat is continuing:
"We are continuing our technical work to ensure more effective cherry exports. We are also continuing our efforts to open new markets for 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."
Transit Route for the Middle East and Gulf
Pointing to the importance of developing logistics capabilities for fresh fruit and vegetable exports, Minister Yumaklı stated that the Turkey-Syria-Jordan-Saudi Arabia transit corridor, which became operational on April 15, 2026, provides significant advantages to producers. Minister Yumaklı noted that with the road connection becoming operational again, products with a short shelf life will reach Gulf countries much faster. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı summarized the global vision in his speech as follows:
"We want to make Turkey one of the world's important production and export centers for quality, reliable, and competitive food, by best utilizing the opportunities of its geography."
Production Drive in Organized Agricultural Regions
Sharing the latest data on Organized Agricultural Regions projects, which strengthen the integration of agriculture and industry, Minister Yumaklı stated that geothermal greenhouses and livestock regions are becoming widespread. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı announced the following, stating that they have granted legal entity status to 46 OARs to date:
"Production has started in 16 OARs. We will bring 4 more OARs 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 like our 46 products with EU geographical indication registration."
Safe Food and Biotechnological Control
Minister Yumaklı announced that inspections have been increased from pre-harvest to mass consumption points and that the QR code application has been made mandatory in businesses, prioritizing biotechnological methods over chemical pesticides in plant health. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı said the following on the subject:
"We have made significant progress with the measures we have taken, especially B-Prescription. We continue our policies that prioritize biological and biotechnological control over chemical methods in pest management. The 75% decrease in RASFF notifications over the last 4 years shows that we are on the right track in this area. However, we also know that we have much more work to do. Because our goal is not only to produce safe food today but also to transform the reliability of Turkish agricultural products into a strong brand value in world markets. In this direction, we are developing innovative applications such as QR-coded health certificates and approved business procedures. We aim to create a more reliable, more traceable, and higher-quality food system in both import and export processes. We are implementing all these regulations together with the stakeholders of our sector. I would like to thank our food and beverage industrialists, producer and exporter unions, non-governmental organizations, and all stakeholders who contribute to these efforts."
Safe Harbor with Contract Farming Model
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, advocating for the widespread adoption of the contract farming model to ensure raw material supply security for industrialists and market guarantees for producers, stated that this structure minimizes risks and increases competitiveness:
"We need to embrace 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 harbor for both our producers and industrialists."
Foodist Fair Brings Global Sector Together
The Foodist Istanbul Fair, opened at the Istanbul Tüyap Congress and Fair Center, brought together over 1,000 participating companies from home and abroad in an area of 120,000 square meters. At the event, where approximately 70,000 professional visitors from 150 countries are expected, VIP buyer delegations consisting of over 2,000 business people from 60 focus countries are conducting meetings. The major organization, attended by the Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat and sector representatives, will remain open until Friday, September 4th, with B2B meetings and panels.