TURKIYE AGRICULTURE - Page 5 - Turkey has a vast agricultural resource base with significant potential to expand output, particularly through increased crop yields. In the past, the government has intervened heavily to the agricultural sector through price supports, input subsidies, import protection, export subsidies and taxes. To increase food self-sufficiency and rural development, stabilise farmers’ incomes, provide adequate nutrition and affordable food and promote exports have been adopted among government objectives.   Since implementing its first structural adjustment program in 1980, Turkey has developed ongoing series of agricultural policy reforms designed to privatise markets, to reduce agricultural subsidies, to remove trade barriers and to integrate Turkey into the global economy. Turkey’s structural adjustment program improved agricultural export competitiveness and increased output and trade, from 1980 to 2000 overall volume of agricultural production rose by an average of 3% per year. Output and yields of the major agricultural products increased steadily. During this period the area sown also rose by 1.5 million hectares and reached totally to 18 million hectares. While overall yields have risen, there are regional differences in fertility. Field crop yields are usually two to three times higher in the milder coastal areas (Aegean and Mediterranean regions) than in the colder and generally drier areas of central and eastern Turkey.

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