Canola Production Doubles in Thrace Region
· NTV Ekonomi
Producers in Edirne, seeking alternatives to sunflowers due to drought in the last two years, have turned to canola, doubling the planting area to 100,000 decares.
Record Planting and Yield for Canola
Farmers in Edirne, unable to achieve the expected profits from sunflowers due to drought and extreme heat in the last two years, have turned to canola. The canola planting area across the province, which was approximately 50,000 decares in 2025, doubled this season to reach 100,000 decares. Edirne Chamber of Agriculture Chairman Hüseyin Arabacı stated that high yields were obtained in the region due to timely seasonal rainfall, providing the following assessment:
"Canola planting has seen a 100% increase this year compared to previous years. We have also seen very good yields from canola this year due to the rainfall. Today, we have heard from many of our producers about yields ranging from 350-400 kilograms, and even up to 500 kilograms. However, I expect the average yield for canola to be around the 400-kilogram mark."
Market Prices Please Producers
Following the expansion in cultivation areas, market price movements have also met producers' expectations. Emphasizing that the product's value has been maintained after the harvest period, Edirne Chamber of Agriculture Chairman Hüseyin Arabacı expressed the returns canola has provided to farmers in the following words:
"Initially, the prices worried our producers; they were concerned that prices might fall with increased planting. We cannot say the prices were very bad. In fact, after the harvest, prices rose slightly again. When we look at it, it appears to be the most profitable crop of the year, the winning crop of the year. Therefore, our producers are satisfied with canola."
Wheat Harvest and Support Expectations
Touching upon the wheat harvest results in the region, Hüseyin Arabacı stated that an average yield of 500-550 kilograms per decare was obtained, but the current prices are insufficient to cover the farmers' input costs. Drawing attention to the announcements from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry regarding increases in basic support payments, Edirne Chamber of Agriculture Chairman Hüseyin Arabacı concluded his remarks as follows:
"Our producers expect a significant increase in this support. Because sustainability has become very difficult with these figures. If there is substantial support here, and if these supports are planned for payment by the upcoming planting season, i.e., by October, perhaps our producers will breathe a little easier, and for the sustainability of the next year; I believe they will be able to easily purchase wheat seeds, fertilizers, and other necessities."