Turkey Rises to European Leadership with Agricultural Output
· AA Tarım & Ekonomi
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı announced that Turkey has climbed to first place in Europe and seventh globally in agricultural output, reaching $83.2 billion.
Agricultural Output and Irrigation Investments
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı shared the historic increase in Turkey's agricultural output with the public at a program organized by Ankara Social Sciences University. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı conveyed the official data with the following words:
"In 2002, Turkey ranked 12th in the world with an agricultural output of $24.5 billion. According to 2025 data, Turkey has risen to seventh place globally and first in Europe with an agricultural output of $83.2 billion. People say, 'Agriculture is over in Turkey, we don't produce anything ourselves, our production is not enough for us, we import everything from abroad.' These are not true."
Emphasizing that the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works has laid over 120,000 kilometers of irrigation lines since 2002, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı pointed to the role of infrastructure:
"In other words, infrastructure investments equivalent to three times the circumference of the world have been made. This investment is indispensable for the food that will reach our tables."
Forest Assets and Firefighting
Stating that the General Directorate of Forestry brings 500 million seeds and saplings into contact with the soil every year to protect the green homeland, Minister Yumaklı recalled that Turkey is the European leader in afforestation. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı said the following regarding forest claims:
"We experienced serious forest fires last year. On November 11, 2025, with the attendance of our President, 14 million seeds and saplings were planted in one day. They say, 'They are building hotels on burnt forests.' We tell them, 'Show us one example.' There is no such thing."
According to the Ministry's data, while the firefighting fleet includes 28 aircraft, 119 helicopters, and 14 UAVs, 194 of the approximately 800 observation towers across the country are equipped with smart technology.
Plant Production and Reliable Food
Drawing attention to the product diversity in the country, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı summarized the self-sufficiency status as follows:
"There are 206 commercially produced plant products in our country. We are self-sufficient in many of them. I would like to say this: different products are produced all over the world, it is impossible for all of them to be produced in Turkey. We are self-sufficient in many of our basic needs and strategic products."
Yumaklı announced that an average of 1.3 million food inspections are carried out annually and stated that the inspections will increase. Reminding that consumers can see the history through business barcodes, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı made the following call:
"It is our common responsibility to manage the processes correctly for reliable food to reach our tables. You can report any problematic food sales, production, or service to us. If you go to a restaurant or a market, every food business has a barcode; when you scan it with your phone, you can see when it was last inspected."