Corn Farmers Request Postponement of Irrigation Debt Payments
· Tarım Dünyası
Due to heavy rains in Adana delaying corn harvest, the Yüreğir Chamber of Agriculture has requested the deadline for discounted irrigation debt payments be extended to the end of September.
Rains Delay Harvest and Income
Continuous rainfall in Adana has directly affected the corn planting and harvesting schedule. Yüreğir Chamber of Agriculture Chairman Mehmet Akın Doğan stated that producers could not enter their fields on time and had to resort to staggered planting. Emphasizing that producers need to harvest and sell their crops to pay their debts, Doğan requested that the discounted debt payment period to irrigation unions be extended from August 31st to the end of September.
Low Harvest Rate and Moisture Obstacle
According to Yüreğir Chamber of Agriculture data, only about 15% of the corn harvest in the region has been completed so far. Mehmet Akın Doğan stated that even in the fields that could be harvested, the grain moisture had not reached the desired level, reporting that the moisture content had not dropped to the 14-15% level. Officials explained that expecting cash payments from producers in an environment where the product cannot reach the market is practically impossible, and that the schedule is forcing producers despite their willingness to pay.
Application Differences Between Irrigation Unions
Mehmet Akın Doğan announced that they have been in contact with the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) Regional Directorate and relevant authorities, stating that the differing decisions of the irrigation unions are causing grievances among producers. Doğan reported that while the Right Bank Irrigation Union has postponed payments until the end of September, the Left Bank Irrigation Union is maintaining the August 31st deadline. He expressed that a single postponement calendar should be applied to farmers affected by the same climatic conditions.