Trade Minister Ömer Bolat met with members of the Istanbul Food Traders' Market (IGTOT) in Başakşehir, emphasizing the crucial role of the food sector for Turkiye’s economy and global standing.
In his speech, Minister Bolat underscored the country’s agricultural potential, saying, “Indeed, thanks be to God, Turkiye is one of the luckiest and most fruitful countries in the world in this regard. The lands of Anatolia and Thrace are truly fertile.” He noted that IGTOT is the largest indoor dry food market in Europe and, once completed, will comprise 1,121 businesses forming the heart of trade in this sector. Bolat also highlighted that Turkiye ranks 10th in the world in agricultural production.
“This is related to country size,” he explained. “We are among the top three producers in many products. But consider the land sizes of Russia, Brazil, India, and China—they have a volume advantage due to their vast territories. Yet, we are number one in agricultural production in Europe. Last year, Turkiye produced $74 billion in agricultural output. This figure was $24 billion when we came to power in 2002. Exports were $4.5 billion in 2002 and rose to $32.5 billion last year.”
Bolat stressed that food is a sector that should never be neglected. He pointed out that over the past 15–20 years, particularly since the early 2000s, the sector has faced major challenges, notably meteorological issues and climate change.
“The seasonal fluctuations are incredible and negatively impact agricultural production,” he said. “Normal rain turns into thunderstorms and torrential downpours, wiping out a year’s worth of production, or drought strikes. Just when crops are about to be harvested, they rot and wilt due to excessive sun and extreme heat. This disrupts the balance between production and consumption. Consumption remains the same. Eighty-six million citizens expect reasonable prices, and consumers want affordable products. Producers also need to meet cost requirements and earn a fair profit, at least equal to inflation, because the industry must make a profit to sustain itself. This year’s rainfall was low, and temperatures were higher than last year. We were predicting 2024 would be the hottest summer, but this year exceeded that forecast.”
Bolat elaborated on specific climate events: “Things were going well in the spring with good rains, but we first experienced a harsh February at the end of the month—a very cold winter. There was an agricultural frost in the Mediterranean. Then, on the nights of April 9, 10, and 11, temperatures dropped to -17°C in nearly all 60 provinces. This agricultural frost froze and dried many summer fruits while they were in full bloom, leading to decreased summer fruit production in some regions. We are managing these processes through various market control regulations. Expectations can vary widely here; one could fully open the import structure for very cheap food products. But Turkish farmers would suffer greatly, agricultural production would not recover, and there would be significant foreign currency losses.”
Bolat emphasized that the agricultural and food sectors are among the most strategic sectors globally, with countries actively protecting them. “During the pandemic, countries prevented each other from selling agricultural products and cleaning agents, imposing export taxes. We do the same when necessary. When production is low, we record and limit exports; when production is high, we encourage exports. If prices dip, farmers become resentful and may reduce production the following year, shifting to other sectors.”
The minister highlighted ongoing cooperation between the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to balance production and consumption. “Those who deliver agricultural products to consumers include wholesalers, producer cooperatives, producer unions, wholesale markets, and supermarkets,” he said.
Bolat also detailed government support, stating, “Over 22 years, 493 billion lira—half a trillion lira—has been provided in production support to farmers. This figure excludes additional support for structural production reforms and rural development.”
He further noted that businesses and sites in the food sector have been modernized. “We would have been talking about more reasonable prices for summer fruits if there hadn’t been the agricultural frost last April. For some fruits, prices remained normal; for others, they remained high. The downward trend in inflation will continue,” Bolat concluded.
