Türkiye has the capacity to meet all of its cereal seed needs on its own in the event of a disruption to global seed supplies, the head of the country's General Directorate of Agricultural Enterprises (TIGEM) said, highlighting the importance of domestic agricultural production amid growing regional instability.
Speaking at the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia Seed Dealers Consultation and Evaluation Meeting at the Ceylanpınar TIGEM Enterprise in Şanlıurfa, TIGEM General Manager Hasan Gezginç said the country's seed production capacity provides a strong safeguard against potential supply crises.
"If for any reason we are unable to obtain seeds from abroad, nothing would happen. TIGEM has the capacity to produce all of Türkiye's cereal seeds on its own," Gezginç said.
He added that Türkiye is among only seven or eight countries in the world considered self-sufficient in food production.
Gezginç said TIGEM plays a leading role in the country's seed industry, producing one out of every four cereal and forage crop seeds in Türkiye.
The institution operates 24 seed preparation and packaging facilities and distributes seeds nationwide through a network of around 300 authorized dealers, ensuring farmers have access to certified domestic seed varieties.
He said recent conflicts and wars surrounding Türkiye have underscored the strategic importance of maintaining a strong domestic seed industry and reducing dependence on external suppliers.
"The developments in our region have once again shown how important local and sustainable seed production is for agricultural security," he said.
Gezginç also stressed that agriculture remains a matter of national security, describing TIGEM as a strategic public institution serving the country's farmers.
"TIGEM belongs to this nation. Every piece of land within TIGEM belongs to the people of Türkiye," he said.
The meeting, which brought together seed dealers from eastern and southeastern Türkiye, concluded with a closed-door question-and-answer session.
