Turkey taking measures to fight drought: Agriculture minister

ISTANBUL

Turkey has taken all necessary measures related to the drought and there will be no problem in the future, the country’s agriculture and forestry minister said Tuesday.

Touching on supply problems during the coronavirus pandemic globally, Bekir Pakdemirli said Turkey has never seen this type of problem thanks to its measures.

Speaking at the 1st Farmer’s Summit organized by Turkish media outlet Turkuvaz, Pakdemirli noted that Turkey took measures before the country’s first COVID-19 case was detected.

He recalled that farmers have been excluded from lockdowns and travel bans during the pandemic period to protect agricultural production.

Noting that the volume of precipitation has decreased 25% in 2021 compared with last year, he said there has been a slight effect on the agricultural sector but the problem is manageable

"With Turkey's production, the Turkish Grain Board, the stocks of the market and the foreign trade measures we have taken, Turkey will not experience any shortcomings in food supply," he underlined.

Noting that the country may experience this drought continuously, Pakdemirli said the most important measure against this situation is investing in irrigation systems.

*Writing by Gokhan Ergocun