Turkey should not have to endure a drought as all necessary measures have been taken, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said, speaking on the ministry’s efforts to overcome any obstacles that may occur in production and activities in the agriculture and husbandry sectors during the pandemic.
The minister’s speech was part of the first Turkey Farmer's Summit organized by Turkuvaz Media.
Pakdemirli stated that Turkey took measures to prevent disruption of both the supply chains and production long before the first COVID-19 case was reported in the country, and stated that they “almost gave diplomatic passports to the farmers during the pandemic,” as they were exempted from the curfews to maintain harvesting and production.
Emphasizing that 2020 was a very good year in agriculture thanks to the measures they took and the incentives they provided in coordination with the health and interior ministries, Pakdemirli said, "We closed 2020 with a growth far beyond Turkey's growth in agricultural output.”
Pakdemirli explained that the measures also covered seasonal workers whose payments were given in advance and who were provided with extra support.
Pakdemirli stated that underground dams have been commissioned to prevent water shortages in the country in the future. Some 50 of these are to be completed by the end of 2021 and a total of 150 dams are scheduled for construction in 2023.
Mentioning the benefits of underground dams against drought, Pakdemirli said that since there is no evaporation, water is preserved much better and expropriation costs are also avoided.
Emphasizing that water resources should be treated very well, Pakdemirli said: “We need to increase water resources. We need to reduce the expenditures as well. The lion's share of the expenditure here belongs to the agricultural sector.”
“We must find a way to use water with more rational methods,” he added.
