In Thrace, one of Turkey’s major sunflower production centers, there is a major yield loss this year, just like last year, due to drought. While the drought and extreme heat throughout the summer months have reduced production by one-third, farmers are thinking ‘deeply’ about what to do. According to Thracian sunflower producers, yield loss varies regionally, but it is between 25% and 50%. In some villages affiliated to the center of Edirne and in the districts of Lalapaşa and Uzunköprü, it has been brought to the agenda that harvesting is not even done because the plant cannot grow.
SUNFLOWER WAREHOUSE THRACE
While there are 9 million acres of arable land in the whole of Thrace, sunflowers are planted on approximately 4 million acres of land. However, due to drought and seeds claimed to be unsustainable to drought, the yield loss in sunflowers in Edirne and its surroundings is pronounced as 50 percent. In regions where drought is intense, the financial loss is stated as 2,500 liras on average for one acre of land, while farmers expect a price of 25 TL for one kilogram of product.
PRODUCER PERİŞAN FROM EDİRNE
Edirne Chamber of Agriculture President Hüseyin Arabacı stated that they had a bad season this year as well, and said, “There is drought in our region. Last year, there was a problem with seeds, and this year we are suffering from drought. The purchase prices of sunflowers have not been announced yet, but we hear that they are finding buyers for 17 TL per kilogram on the stock exchange. Our cost per decare of land is 2,500 TL. Due to drought and loss of productivity, our income per decare has decreased to 1,000 TL. Our loss is great.” he said.
Arabacı added that the producers in the villages of Edirne and Lalapaşa are literally in dire straits, and said, “There are lands that cannot be harvested. Will the emerging picture be reflected on the market shelves for sunflower oil? Of course it will be. There will be a tendency towards imported products to close the gap.”
THE PASSAGE BURNED UZUNKÖPRÜ!
Uzunköprü Chamber of Agriculture President Özcan Kayalı also stated that sunflowers were planted on a total of 200 thousand acres of land in the district, and said, “We are victims of drought. There was no rain in the summer. The winter was also dry. The soil has been dry for two years. Sunflower purchasing prices have not been announced yet, but less than 25 TL will not save us. “Fortunately, it has been made obligatory to purchase one kilogram of product from domestic producers for every kilogram of imported product,” he said.
ÇORLU IS LUCKY THIS YEAR
Çorlu producers, who suffered losses due to drought and seed number 145 last year, are experiencing yield loss this year. Çorlu Chamber of Agriculture President Ali Topuz says the following about the table: “Although not as much as Edirne and its districts, we have yield losses due to drought. “In Çorlu, 300 thousand acres of land are planted with wheat, 300 thousand acres with sunflower, 50 thousand acres with barley and 20 thousand acres with canola. The summer was very dry, we hope that the price of a kilo of sunflower will be 35 TL.”
SIMILAR PICTURE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
Şemsi Bayraktar, the Chairman of the Union of Chambers of Agriculture of Turkey (TZOB), drew attention to the situation in the Mediterranean Region in his statement the other day and said, “Sunflower harvest has started in the Mediterranean Region, our farmers are not getting the yield they expected. This year, the extreme temperatures have caused a decrease in yields in sunflowers, as in most crops. he said.
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