Türkiye's Thracian region may face its worst drought on record
TEKİRDAĞ
Türkiye's northwestern Thracian region, known for its agricultural output of wheat and barley, faces the risk of its most severe drought in history if rain does not occur in the coming days, warns an expert.
"In the absence of rain for the next several days, we predict that wheat crops will fail to develop properly and Thrace will experience the worst drought in its history, which will reduce production by 60 to 80 percent,” warned İbrahim Toruk, president of a Thracian seed growers association, TRAKTOD.
“This may sound exaggerated, but we say this based on our experience.”
Toruk, an agricultural engineer, said the region went through an extremely dry and mild winter with insufficient rainfall and no significant cold spells, leaving wheat and barley crops under drought stress.
“This past winter was dry and warm. The plants struggled with drought stress, and then in early April, they were hit by cold stress when it unexpectedly snowed on April 7, followed by frost,” he said.
Toruk noted that late frosts are highly unusual in the region, adding that the last frosts in Thrace usually occur around Feb. 27. However, this year, the region had frost on April 7, 8, and 9, at a time when the crops were already stressed.
He stated that although the brief snowfall facilitated some short-term growth, its impact swiftly faded without sustained rainfall.
“Fields may appear green at first glance, but our technical teams report deep cracks in the soil. The wheat is drying from the bottom, and the heads are narrowing and becoming pointed, a clear sign of water deficiency,” he said.
The region is now experiencing high temperatures, which have worsened the situation by rapidly drying out the topsoil.
“If temperatures continue to rise rapidly, we will face serious trouble during this critical stage when plants need the most water,” Toruk said.
He noted that this year's drought conditions in wheat are reminiscent of the region-wide drought experienced in 2023.
Calling for immediate intervention, he urged authorities to act without delay. “The water stress is obvious. We’ve already been hit by frost, and now drought is hitting even harder. Farmers are taking a heavy blow.”
With temperatures plummeting substantially over a three-day cold spell during the first quarter of April, Türkiye was hit by one of the harshest agricultural frosts in recent memory, according to Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı.
This late frost took a heavy toll on agricultural production across multiple regions.
