The future of agriculture was discussed at the MÜSİAD Agriculture Summit held in Adana. Sharing his assessments at the event, MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı touched on the importance of domestic and national agricultural technologies and said, "We must put a conscious agriculture mobilization into practice." MÜSİAD Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sector Board Chairman Cemal Özen, for his part, said in his speech that agriculture must build human-centred strategies into all of its policies.
The Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD) held the MÜSİAD Agriculture Summit under the title "The Future is in Agriculture". The event, organized under the coordination of the MÜSİAD Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sector Board and hosted by the MÜSİAD Adana Branch, was attended by MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ebubekir Gizligider, Adana Governor Dr. Süleyman Elban, Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar, deputies, the provincial protocol, representatives of civil society organizations and the sector, and MÜSİAD members. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Prof. Dr. Vahit Kirişci, for his part, addressed the guests by joining the MÜSİAD Agriculture Summit by telephone.
"Domestic and national agricultural technologies will carry Türkiye to an advanced level in production"
Speaking at the program, MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı said that with its fertile soil and climate conditions Türkiye is among the world's most important agricultural producers. President Asmalı said the following in his speech:
"With its fertile soil and climate conditions, Türkiye is among the world's most important agricultural producers. Yet it is striking that applications involving technology and innovation in the agriculture, food and livestock sector cannot be used at the desired level. We believe that with domestic technologies to be developed by taking into account the geographical, human and economic conditions specific to our country, we can reach a far more advanced position in the agriculture sector."
"We must put a conscious agriculture mobilization into practice"
Stating that well-equipped young people can be directed towards agricultural production, President Asmalı assessed, "We must put a conscious agriculture mobilization into practice on both a horizontal and a vertical scale." President Asmalı continued as follows:
"We must not forget that Generations Y and Z will shape the future of agriculture. The secret to achieving great success in this field lies in being able to direct young people towards agriculture. We must put a conscious agriculture mobilization into practice on both a horizontal and a vertical scale, because they are far more inclined towards and familiar with these technologies. The difficult and valuable part of the task is to produce domestic and national software. We have a generation that is extremely capable and well-equipped in this regard. As MÜSİAD, we will continue with great enthusiasm to encourage our young people to develop domestic and national technologies, not only with a focus on the agriculture sector but in every sector that will bring Türkiye into a new age."
Support for agricultural development through women's enterprise at national and local level is targeted
Pointing out the importance of education in agricultural development, President Asmalı also stated that the sector could be strengthened by supporting women's enterprise at national and local level. President Asmalı said that MÜSİAD would explain the economic opportunities and strategic importance of agriculture through seminar programs to be held at high schools and universities:
"In addition to the steps directed towards agricultural technology, MÜSİAD, together with the Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sector Board, will explain the economic opportunities of agriculture and its strategic importance for our country through programs to be held at high schools and universities. At the same time, the work put forward with MÜSİAD Women aiming to strengthen women's enterprise will contribute, through support for women's enterprise at national and local level, to the development of regional cuisines, local garden production and provincial gastro-tourism activities. We are taking the lead in steps that support development in villages through agriculture-based industrial investments and the creation of agricultural towns. At this point I would like to state that we are ready to develop R&D and product development projects in cooperation with our Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry."
A call from MÜSİAD for an "Agricultural Market Regulatory Authority"
MÜSİAD Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sector Board Chairman Cemal Özen, for his part, pointed out that global warming, seed, technology, population growth and regional conflicts are causing negative consequences worldwide, and announced a road map for a comprehensive transformation in agricultural development. Özen said the following in his assessment:
"In the period we are in, global warming and regional conflicts have affected our world negatively. What these developments will bring within the agricultural framework is not yet foreseeable. However, with the right steps to be taken, our country is in a position to turn this crisis into an opportunity. For this reason, we believe that we need to analyse well how countries that are successful in agriculture, food and livestock around the world assess the developments in this field. The work and competencies of the research institutes affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture should be updated within this framework. A body similar to the Energy Market Regulatory Authority should also be established in the field of agriculture. In other words, the establishment of an 'Agricultural Market Regulatory Authority' is essential. We state clearly that agricultural policies must not change in the short term and must be kept free of politics. Laws relating to agricultural policies must be long-term. Farmers are supported in every country of the world, and we know that these supports are at a sufficient level in our country as well. However, support policies should be simplified further, they should be accessible and, most importantly, these supports should be given for the product rather than the land and should be shaped directly towards the farmer's costs."
"We must build human-centred strategies into all agricultural policies"
MÜSİAD Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sector Board Chairman Cemal Özen stated that work in which farmers' production risks are minimized must be put into practice. Özen also noted that if the average age in agriculture is lowered through developments in the field of education, a direct impact will be made on sustainable agricultural development. Özen continued his words as follows:
"Agriculture involves risk, involves uncertainty and is a difficult field. When we consider the high level of costs, the farmer cannot take this risk and gives up production. For this reason we must have policies that will minimize the farmer's production risk. A floor price should be announced at the planting stage so that the farmer can calculate his costs and profitability. Contract farming should be supported; there is a need for legal regulation particularly on contract farming. All of MÜSİAD's policies contain human-centred strategies. We must build human-centred strategies into all agricultural policies as well. Each of our agricultural engineers who have completed their education and have difficulty finding a job should be given responsibility for 2-3 villages; with this model we would raise producers' awareness of what to produce and how to produce it more efficiently. The average age in agriculture is around 55. Young people should be made to love agriculture; young people engaged in agriculture in particular should be called 'entrepreneurs'. Agricultural high schools should be established and 2-3 agricultural universities should be opened as soon as possible, particularly by the state and private foundations."
"Incentivizing production in the village is essential in order to break the negative cycle"
MÜSİAD Adana Branch President Burhan Kavak, who stated in his speech at the MÜSİAD Agriculture Summit that villages have become isolated as a result of migration movements, noted that village farming therefore faces extinction. Kavak stated that bringing incentives for production in the village is essential in order to break the negative cycle. Kavak continued his assessment with the following words:
"One of the most effective ways of increasing production in agriculture and livestock is to prevent migration from the village to the city. Today village farming is declining. Although young people could earn more by growing crops or raising animals in their village, they are forced to settle for the minimum wage in the city. We believe that incentivizing production in the village is essential in order to break this negative cycle. Within this framework, we believe that a model in which the state pays all or a large part of the Bağ-Kur premiums of individuals engaged in agriculture and livestock in their village, and a significant part of the insurance premiums of those working in agricultural enterprises to be established in villages, would be beneficial. In this framework we propose that Adana be considered as a pilot province and serve as a model for Türkiye."
The future of agriculture discussed in panel sessions
The future of agriculture was discussed comprehensively in the panel sessions held within the scope of the MÜSİAD Agriculture Summit. At the summit, Sunar Group Executive Board Chairman Hasan Abdullah Özkan, Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muharrem Sait Say, ZİMİD Board of Directors Chairman Emin Özer and MÜSİAD Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sector Board Deputy Chairman Emrullah Gökhan shared their views in the "Just Produce" panel moderated by Dünya Newspaper Editorial Board Chairman Dr. Şeref Oğuz; BİSAB President Selami Yazar, Çukurova University Faculty of Agriculture Dean Prof. Dr. Salih Kafkas, TURİB General Manager Dr. Necla Küçükçolak and Adana Grain Producers Union President Nur Özkan in the "Agriculture in the New World Order" panel moderated by TGRT Haber Economy Director Celal Toprak; and Orzax CEO Yunus Emre Alimoğlu, Konya Food and Agriculture University Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Menşure Özgüven and Aksaray University Vocational School of Technical Sciences Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Koç in the "The Search for Added Value in Agriculture" panel moderated by Refleks Newspaper Managing Editor Mehmet Uluğtürkan. At the MÜSİAD Agriculture Summit, Ziraat Bank Corporate Banking Deputy General Manager Ferhat Pişmaf also shared his assessments with a presentation titled "Financial Supports in Agriculture", TÜSEDAD President Sencer Solakoglu with "Can Türkiye Develop Through Agriculture?", former TİGEM General Manager Halis Bilden with "The Effect of Efficient Irrigation in Agriculture on the Economy", Fiberli Growlight Director Hakan Öztürk with "Vertical Farming", and Dünya Newspaper Agriculture Columnist Ali Ekber Yıldırım with "Strategic Planning in Agriculture".
