Initial assessments indicate that the devastating earthquakes that struck in early February damaged more than 20% of Türkiye’s agricultural production, the U.N.’s food agency said Friday.
The two quakes on Feb. 6, which also severely hit neighboring Syria, and the aftershocks killed more than 50,000 people and left many more in dire conditions.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said initial assessments in Türkiye revealed "severe damage to agriculture, including crops, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture, as well as rural infrastructure in affected areas."
"The earthquake severely impacted 11 key agricultural provinces affecting 15.73 million people and more than 20% of the country's food production," it said in a statement.
The earthquake-affected region, known as Türkiye’s “fertile crescent,” accounts for nearly 15% of agricultural gross domestic product (GDP) and contributes to almost 20% of the country’s agrifood exports, it noted.
It estimated the quake had caused $1.3 billion (TL 24.93 billion) in damage, through the destruction of infrastructure, livestock and crops, and $5.1 billion in losses to the agricultural sector.
The loss, it said, refers to the economic and productive impact of the damage, such as reduced availability of food and higher food prices due to the loss of stored crops.
When the earthquake hit, buildings collapsed, crops were damaged and animals were killed, but the resulting devastation also created shortages of barns, food and vaccines for livestock that survived.
Fish production has also been compromised, with 34 fish farms and three fishing ports impacted and the loss of key fish species, the agency said.
“Small-scale fishers and aquaculture producers will also suffer significant income losses due to the inability to resume operations,” it noted.
The shortage of workers is also having an impact, which raises further concerns as the summer harvest season draws closer.
"Planting before the end of rainfall is our only chance to ensure a healthy crop for the coming year, given the damage to our irrigation channels and agricultural infrastructure,” said Mesut Özer, a farmer from Nurdağı, Gaziantep.
“We need fertilizers now before it's too late," Özer noted.
The FAO is appealing for $112 million to help quake-affected communities in Türkiye, including $25 million under a wider U.N. appeal issued in February to provide cash, livestock and agricultural support to 900,000 people in rural areas.
To date, the FAO has secured only $1.5 million of these requirements through its Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities (SFERA) and internal resources.
With this, it rolled out immediate interventions to safeguard livelihoods, including providing cash, rehabilitating damaged infrastructure at a household level, distributing livestock feed and providing quality inputs.
"The planting season deadline is approaching. We need to urgently support our farmers by providing fertilizers and seeds," said FAO coordinator Viorel Gutu.
"This is our only chance to maintain crop production levels this year. We also need to provide animals with feed to maintain their health and productivity," Gutu added.
The FAO said more than one-third of the population in the hardest-hit areas relied on agriculture for their livelihood.
“Disrupted supply chains and financial challenges are exacerbating the struggle of rural families to access and afford productive inputs, leaving them unable to meet basic needs and support their families,” it noted.
