Rainfall distresses wheat producers

Çukurova, a region in south-central Turkey, has seen negative impacts of rainfall on its wheat yield this year. Crops have turned yellow in some fields due to puddles on the fields, which supplied nearly 2 million tons of wheat on 3 million decares of land last year.

Turkey’s wheat need is around 23 million tons annually, said Yavuz Tezcan, chairman of a chamber of agriculture in Ceyhan, a town in the southern city of Adana. Noting that Turkey produces wheat at a level that can cover its own needs, Tezcan expressed concerns about lack of qualified wheat production.

Wheat is predicted to be planted on an area over 3 million decares in Adana and its province this year just like last year, Tezcan said. “The yield was high last year with proper climate conditions. Farmers reaped last year up to 400 to 650 kilos of wheat per a decare.”  

“Wheat cheered up farmers with both its high yield and price last season. However, they have problems due to the rainfall this year. Fields are full of puddles that have turned wheat yellow,” Tezcan said. “Farmers cannot go in the fields on tractors to fertilize the soil due to the puddles and mud, and are obliged to throw fertilizers by hand,” he said, adding that a two-week period of lack of rainfall is required to reach the expected yield. “I hope that climatic conditions will be as we want.”

  Late planting

Tezcan said the planting period is also late due to rainfall. Noting that farmers in the region with certificated seeds could not finish the planting on time due to rainfall, Tezcan said: “Producers receive support money for 20 percent of certificated seeds. But the certificated seeds should be documented until end of December. Hundreds of farmers will not be able to benefit from this support as they could plant late.” 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs should make a regulation to eliminate the farmers’ grievance in this issue, Tezcan said.