Agricultural Support Implementations in Türkiye: Oily Sunflower Production-Çanakkale Province Sample

Abstract

The agricultural sector around the world is protected and supported due to some of its essential features. In the report prepared by the OECD considering 54 countries, it is stated that the amount of resources allocated to the agricultural sector on an annual basis in the 2020-2022 period is 851 billion USD and the amount of direct transfers to producers is 333 billion USD. Agricultural support payments in Türkiye are paid in accordance with the Agricultural Law No. 5488 passed in 2006. According to article 21 of the Agricultural Law, it is stipulated that the amount of support given to agricultural production cannot be less than 1% of the country's gross national income. However, while the share of agricultural support payments in the country's gross domestic product in Türkiye was 0,60% in 2006, this rate decreased to 0,27% in 2022. The present study revealed that only 26,92% of the agricultural support amount which is necessary to be paid to producers in Türkiye in 2022 could be provided. In this study, using the data obtained from 75 agricultural enterprises determined by the Stratified Sampling Method in Çanakkale province, the perspectives of the producers on the agricultural supports applied in oilseed sunflower have been examined. In the study, it has been determined that the rate of benefiting from difference support, diesel and fertilizer support of the producers is over 95%. The research conducted has also showed that 94,67% of the producers did not find the difference support unit price sufficient. According to the findings of the research, 92% of the producers declared that the unit price of diesel support and 86,67% of the fertilizer support unit price were not sufficient. According to the results of the study, 37,33% of the producers reported that the supports applied in oilseed sunflower caused a decrease in product cost, while 8% reported that they caused an increase in product income. Considering the average sunflower yield amount of 236,93 kg/da in the enterprises examined, the research revealed that while the product income excluding supports was 515,32 TL/da, this value reached 639,09 TL/da including supports. In other words, the agricultural supports applied to oilseed sunflower increased the product income by 24,02%. However, when this amount and the rate of increase are compared with other research findings, it is seen that the contribution of agricultural supports to oilseed sunflower product income decreases both at real level and proportionally every year in Türkiye compared to the previous year. In this context, in order to make oilseed sunflower production more attractive throughout the country; the effect of the differential support unit price on the level of producer income increase, and the unit prices of diesel, fertilizer and seed support should be determined on a real basis, taking into account the shares of the specified inputs in the product cost. In order to increase the production of oilseed sunflower throughout the country, the current study reveals that it is of great importance to make production in irrigated areas, to give more space to this product in marginal areas, and to use seeds with higher oil content.