TZOB/Bayraktar: Wheat Planting Halted Due to Drought

Forex - The President of the Turkish Union of Agricultural Chambers (TZOB), Şemsi Bayraktar, evaluated the impacts of climate change on agricultural production in a video press statement.

“Climate change leads to changes in precipitation patterns, natural disasters, rising temperatures, and drought. Therefore, the agricultural sector feels the negative effects of climate change the most,” said Bayraktar, continuing his statement as follows:

“Agricultural activities are directly dependent on climatic conditions. Climate change causes a decrease in quality and yield, increases in production costs, hotter and less rainy climate conditions, an increase in meteorological events, a rise in plant diseases and pests, shifts in ecological areas, a decrease in plant diversity, and issues in cultural practices. In short, climate change makes it increasingly difficult to access healthy food and water as the world’s population grows.”

“Climate change adversely affects water resources the most”

“Scientific studies indicate that the most significant effect of climate change will be on the water cycle, and that more than 3 billion people will experience water scarcity starting from 2025. In our country, there is a total of 112 billion cubic meters of usable water, consisting of 98 billion cubic meters of surface water and 14 billion cubic meters of groundwater. Of this amount, 44 billion cubic meters is used in agriculture, and 13 billion cubic meters is used in industry and for drinking water. This means that 77% of the water we use is consumed in agriculture. The amount of usable water per person per year is 1,302 cubic meters. This situation indicates that we are not a water-rich country and that we are even in a position of water stress.

The effects of climate change tell us that this amount needs to be reduced. If we ignore this statement, we will be longing for a drop of water in the future. With the increase in population each year, the amount of usable water per person decreases. While our economically irrigable land area is 8.5 million hectares, the amount of land opened for irrigation is 7.1 million hectares. The irrigation rate in areas opened for irrigation across the country is 68%, and the irrigation efficiency is 51%. On the other hand, during the production of 1 kilogram of wheat, 1,800 liters of water is utilized, while for the same amount of soybeans, 2,100 liters is used, and for rice, it takes 2,500 liters of water. Considering these amounts, the necessity of sustainably managing water resources becomes more significant.

Delayed investments in irrigation and the inability to ensure efficiency are among our other structural problems. Water is indispensable for sustainable agricultural production. Currently, irrigation infrastructure is incomplete in 1.4 million hectares of land. Every square meter of agricultural land opened for irrigation will be beneficial for our country. We support the government’s efforts towards irrigation investments. On the other hand, it is necessary to emphasize irrigation investments such as ponds and dams to ensure the agricultural sustainability of our farmers, especially small business owners, who face rising costs and low-profit rates.

The rate of irrigation in areas opened for irrigation nationwide is 68% and the irrigation efficiency is 51%. The irrigation efficiency is low. A significant portion is lost before reaching the fields. Many of the irrigation channels are outdated and open systems. It is imperative to renew irrigation channels and switch to closed systems.

Moreover, we must abandon irrigation methods that cause yield losses in crops and salinization in the soil. Such irrigation methods both increase irrigation costs and do not provide benefits. Necessary training should be provided to our producers to use water consciously, and the amount of water to be used per decare should be determined to prevent excessive water use. Here, the responsibility of establishing modern in-field irrigation systems lies with our producers.

However, the rising costs make it difficult for our farmers to transition to modern irrigation systems. For this purpose, incentives and credits should be increased to enable farmers to establish modern irrigation systems that save water.”

“Another issue arising from climate change is drought”

“Increased temperatures and decreased rainfall in many parts of the world as a result of global climate change are increasing both the frequency and severity of drought disasters. Unlike many natural disasters, drought can develop slowly, causing serious economic, environmental, and social impacts across large areas, and at times even throughout an entire country. Additionally, due to the agriculture's dependency on surface and groundwater resources, drought has a complex structure affecting many sectors of agricultural economics. Therefore, water is indispensable in agriculture. On the other hand, drought occurrences are observed in all climate zones; however, the sensitivity of the area to drought and the degree of its impacts can vary significantly from region to region.

The fact that our country is located in a semi-arid climate zone on a global scale increases the sensitivity to drought. We experienced the impacts of drought on agriculture in 2007, 2008, 2014, and 2021. The lack of water in the soil during the emergence and development periods of plants caused significant issues in both yield and quality during those years. Agricultural production was significantly affected due to drought that year, which caused considerable damage to both many producers and the national economy.

Drought affects the productivity of agricultural products and also distances our farmers from planting more profitable crops. Furthermore, shifts in planting and harvesting dates have been observed in recent years due to the effects of climate change. This season, although it varies by crop and region, the planting dates for wheat and barley were advanced by about a month.

“October rainfall decreased in all regions except the Black Sea region”

“Due to drought, grain sowing has been hampered.”

“In the past summer season, rainfall decreased by 9% compared to normal and by 30% compared to last year. October rainfalls decreased by 46% compared to normal and by 27% compared to last year.

Rainfall across Turkey in October has been below normal for the past six years. Rainfalls in the Aegean Region reached the lowest levels in the past 40 years, while in the Marmara Region they hit a record low over the past 23 years.

When examined regionally, rainfall decreased by 95% in the Aegean Region, 90% in the Mediterranean Region, 87% in Southeastern Anatolia, 81% in Marmara, 74% in Central Anatolia, and 37% in Eastern Anatolia, compared to normal. Conversely, only the Black Sea Region saw an increase of 31%.

In October 2023, rainfall was 26% lower than normal. The planting period for wheat and barley has been pushed to later dates. The insufficient level of rainfall in October, which varies by region, and the delay in some areas have resulted in sowing being postponed by 20 days to up to 1 month. Many of our farmers were unable to sow grains due to drought.”

“Even in advanced countries, one of the fundamental problems of agricultural production is drought”

“According to data from the World Meteorological Organization, approximately 35% of the world consists of arid, semi-arid, and dry-wet regions. Even in advanced countries, drought is a fundamental issue in agricultural production. Factors such as low precipitation, irregular precipitation regimes, and scarce resources in arid and semi-arid regions are among the primary issues in agriculture. Therefore, to mitigate the effects of drought caused by water scarcity and insufficient rainfall, either irrigation activities should be developed or dry farming methods should be promoted.

With the increasing world population, the current yield in agricultural production will not be sufficient to meet the food needs of the population. Thus, it is evident that the goal must be to obtain more yield per unit area. To achieve this, sustainable water policies must always be prioritized, especially in our country where water stress is prevalent. Additionally, the fact that 74.5% of the wheat planting area, which is strategically important and produced on 28.5% of the 23.9 million hectares of agricultural land in our country, is dry farming underscores the significance of drought’s impact on our agricultural production.

The world population grows annually by an average of 1.1%, which is equivalent to Turkey’s population. Therefore, agricultural production must increase. This increase should be achieved with minimal resource and input consumption, low costs, and minimal harm to nature to ensure sustainability in agriculture. For this purpose, it is necessary to shift away from traditional production techniques and transition to modern production technologies, utilizing appropriate tools and methods.

As a country, we must also be prepared for the transition to modern practices. Considering our country’s potential in terms of climate, soil, water, and biodiversity, it also offers solutions to minimize the negative effects of global climate change. The measures taken and to be taken must focus on the protection and sustainable, effective use of natural resources such as water, soil, and biodiversity. For this reason, the agriculture and food sector is always one of the most strategic sectors. Ensuring the sustainability of this sector significantly depends on practices that minimize the impacts of climate change and the sustainable use and management of our natural resources.”