President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced Saturday a new livestock support initiative that is expected to inject fresh momentum into Türkiye’s small ruminant sector, with producers voicing optimism and anticipating a broader expansion of incentives.
The Rural Prosperity Support Project for Small Ruminant Livestock has been designed to strengthen agricultural production in rural areas, scale up family-run enterprises and increase the participation of women and young people in livestock farming.
The program also seeks to improve the profitability and sustainability of pasture-based production models by aligning support mechanisms with regional conditions.
Animal distributions will be planned in line with Türkiye’s regional livestock dynamics, taking into account local geography, climate, and pasture structures. Breeding stock will consist of small ruminant breeds compatible with local conditions, ensuring production efficiency and long-term viability.
The project will be implemented with breeding guarantees provided by the General Directorate of Agricultural Enterprises (TİGEM) and financing support offered through state-owned Ziraat Bank. Animals to be distributed under the program will be sourced exclusively from TİGEM facilities.
Covering the 2026–2028 period, the program targets the distribution of 150,000 small ruminants nationwide. Eligible producers will be able to receive up to 100 animals, 95 females and five males, ranging from 6 to 18 months of age.
The application framework allows participation not only from producers with livestock holdings below a specified upper threshold, but also from individuals not currently engaged in animal husbandry.
Women and young people will be prioritized, alongside veterinarians, agricultural engineers and food engineers, reflecting a policy emphasis on professionalization and knowledge-based production.
Applications are expected to open in April, with distributions scheduled to begin in the second half of the year following the completion of evaluations.
Under the financial component of the project, eligible producers will have access to “basic livestock loans” from Ziraat Bank with interest discounts of up to 100%.
Repayment plans will include grace periods of up to 2 years, followed by maturity options of five or seven years. Animals acquired through the program will be insured under TARSİM for a year.
In addition, producers will receive monthly maintenance and feeding support of TL 150 ($3.42) per animal for up to 12 months, capped at 100 animals. This translates into a maximum support amount of TL 15,000 per month and TL 180,000 annually per beneficiary.
Details regarding eligible provinces, breeds, application procedures, and evaluation timelines will be announced separately by the Agriculture Ministry and Forestry’s General Directorate of Livestock.
Commenting on the initiative, Turan Saldırıcıer, chairman of the Central Union of Sheep and Goat Breeders of Türkiye, described the project as a critical intervention for revitalizing small ruminant production.
Emphasizing that Anatolia’s geography is highly suited to sheep and goat farming, Saldırıcıer said the program provides both financial relief and structural support for producers.
He noted that industry stakeholders have received signals indicating that the scope of the support may be expanded in the future.
Saldırıcıer also underlined the strategic importance of prioritizing women and young people, stating that sustaining rural production, preventing migration, and transitioning toward science-based livestock models depend on broader social participation and professional engagement.
He added that the initiative could play a key role in addressing Türkiye’s red meat supply gap by strengthening small ruminant production capacity over the medium term.
