Turkey Rises to Seventh Globally in Agricultural Output
· Google Haberler
Speaking at the Foodist Istanbul Fair, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı announced that Turkey's agricultural output has reached $83.2 billion, positioning the country at seventh place in the global rankings.
Historic Record in Agricultural Output
Speaking at the opening of the Foodist Istanbul International Food and Beverage Products Fair, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı announced that Turkey has achieved a historic record in agricultural output. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the output reached $83.2 billion. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı made the following assessment:
"In 2002, Turkey ranked 12th in agricultural output. Today, we have risen to 7th place globally in agricultural output. $83.2 billion is the highest level in our history. We will see this figure rise much higher in the 2026 results."
Climate Crisis and National Security
Minister Yumaklı stated that global climate change directly threatens agricultural production and pointed out that natural resources are increasingly limited. Emphasizing that food supply is now a matter of survival, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı noted:
"Looking at global developments, we are perhaps experiencing one of the most significant turning points in human history. Global climate change has moved from theory to practice and is now at the very center of our lives. The agriculture and food sector, the issue of food, has been taken up and perceived by states as a national security issue and has begun to be managed as such. Indeed, there is a rising food nationalism in the world. There is a desire for countries to protect their own resources."
Yumaklı also referred to the projections of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for 2050, highlighting the magnitude of the risks.
Strong Exports in the Global Market
According to ministry data, while Turkey's share in the overall world economy is 1.35%, its share in global agricultural value added has reached 1.75%. Minister Yumaklı stated that Turkey fully meets the food needs of 86 million citizens and 60 million tourists, and reported that agricultural exports have increased to $32.6 billion. Yumaklı noted that the country supplies a total of 2,226 types of agricultural products to 185 different markets and shared that new steps are being taken in salmon, sea bream, sea bass, and almond exports to the Chinese market.
Contract Farming and New Routes
Touching upon the importance of logistics routes in agricultural trade, Yumaklı stated that the land route connecting the Gulf region via Syria and Jordan was reactivated on April 15, 2026. Arguing that the transition to contract farming is mandatory to protect producers from market fluctuations, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı concluded his remarks:
"The agricultural sector, exposed to many external factors, is no different from a nutshell on the sea without contract farming. If we truly want to preserve our strength, we must, absolutely must, implement contract farming."
Yumaklı announced that legal regulations on the matter will be announced to the public soon.