We need agricultural reforms
19.12.2013 / Ankara
Speaking at the TOBB Commodity Exchanges Council Meeting, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Turkey is in need of agricultural reforms, stressing the need to improve productivity in agriculture. Stating that Turkey needs to increase its agricultural production to 150 billion USD and its exports to 40 billion USD, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “When you consider that our goal for 2023 is an exports volume of 500 billion USD, 11.5% of our exports will need to be conducted by the agriculture sector. We believe that it can do this. Hopefully, we will bring our agricultural sector and economy to another level in 2023.”
TOBB Commodity Exchanges Council, hosted by Hisarcıklıoğlu, was attended by the Food, Agriculture and Husbandry Ministry Deputy Minister Kutbettin Arzu and Council members.
During his opening speech, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu reminded that Turkey is the 37th country in the world in terms of land mass and the12th in terms of arable land and said, “We are truly fortunate here. Thankfully, we have fertile lands able to grow all kinds of produce. As a result, our country is one of the foremost agricultural producers and exporters in the world.” Hisarcıklıoğlu went on to provide figures regarding the development of the sector in the last 10 years.
- Agricultural productivity must be increased
TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Turkey has achieved a great transformation and development in the last 30 years. Reporting that in the last 10 years Turkey’s economy has grown by 63%, its agriculture has grown by 23%, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Turkey’s agriculture needs to catch up to Turkey’s growth. “Our share of the world’s exports remains at around 1%. We need to increase this figure.
We are also following the work on gene banks and basin based production model worked on by the Food, Agriculture and Husbandry Ministry.” Hisarcıklıoğlu went on to point various issues which need attention.
Reminding that they aim to make Turkey one of the five largest agricultural economies in the world, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “All we need in order to achieve is to keep rolling out structural reforms. Our agricultural sector will leap ahead once obstacles to production, exports and employment are eliminated and our competition conditions are brought to a level playing field with other countries.”
Food, Agriculture and Husbandry Ministry Deputy Minister Kutbettin Arzu emphasized that there has been significant growth in the agriculture sector during the last 10 years.
Stating that his phone is open 24 hours and that he has been using the same number since 1995, Arzu said that they would do everything in their power to solve present problems.”
TOBB Commodity Exchanges Council President Yahya Toplu provided information regarding the works of the council on behalf of their 113 commodity exchanges. Toplu stated that commodity exchanges are working each day to increase agricultural productivity in their regions as well as assisting in the branding and marketing of regional goods
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