Farmer Debt Spiral Despite Record Production Target

October 5, 2026 · GıdaTarım

While Turkey aims for 140 million tons of crop production by 2026, soaring input costs and insufficient support are pushing producers into a debt quagmire.

Record Production and Cost Dilemma

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Turkey ranks 7th globally in agricultural production volume, with a harvest target of 140 million tons of crop production set for 2026. However, these announced record targets obscure the deep financial risks faced by producers on the ground. Sharp increases in essential agricultural input costs such as diesel, fertilizer, electricity, and seeds are pushing farmers' production costs far above the market sales prices of their produce. Selling harvested crops below cost is leading producers into a debt spiral, despite high yields.

Input Prices and Structural Crisis

Shortcomings in agricultural policies are creating a domino effect across a wide range of areas, from input costs to livestock farming. Dependence on foreign sources for feed raw materials directly impacts the livestock sector, with significant declines recorded in meat and milk production. Ongoing import practices during harvest seasons are suppressing producer prices, while agricultural support payments falling behind the inflation rate are driving farmers away from the land. This growing loss of confidence on the ground is causing the young population to detach from agriculture, while the changing hands of agricultural lands directly threaten the sector's future and food supply security.

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