Approximately 380 thousand tons of Turkey's 1.5 million tons of certified seed production were carried out in the Konya Plain.
Konya Chamber of Agricultural Engineers President Burak Kırkgöz, who emphasized the improvement in production quality in agriculture, said, "While we used to be a country that imported seeds, we have now risen to become a country that exports seeds."
The Konya Plain, known as Turkey's agricultural hub, accounts for 25% of the certified seed production in Turkey. Of Turkey's 1.5 million tons of certified seed production, 380 thousand tons are produced in Konya.
"Approximately 380 thousand tons are produced in the Konya region"
Burak Kırkgöz, President of the Konya Branch of the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers (ZMO), explained that a significant portion of seed production in Turkey takes place in the Konya region, stating, "The Konya region ranks first in our country in seed production. Approximately 25% of the 1.5 million tons of seeds produced in our country, around 380 thousand tons, are produced in the Konya region. Of course, seed production activities in Konya gained significant momentum with the Seed Law No. 5553, enacted in 2006. With the introduction of this law, seed production activities in our country began to develop further. Previously, we were a country that imported seeds from abroad, but now we have risen to the status of a country that exports seeds. Our Ministry is conducting serious work, especially regarding seed production. The advancement of seed production in our country required focusing on international efforts, which has happened in recent years. We have now become a country that exports seeds abroad on a significant scale."
"It has been determined that the use of certified seeds can increase yield per unit area by up to 20%"
Burak Kırkgöz, Konya Branch President, emphasized that the certified seed use support announced this year met expectations, stating, "The supports were positively received by our farmers and companies. Approximately 122 liras of support per decare will be provided for seeds, which equates to 5.3 liras per kilogram. Considering the seed prices this year, the 5.3 lira support provided by our Ministry significantly impacts seed sales. It has been determined that the use of certified seeds can increase yield per unit area by up to 20%. We especially recommend that our farmers in cereal-growing areas turn to and prefer certified seeds. Currently, companies engaged in seed production in our country can produce enough seeds to sow all areas in the country. However, serious work needs to be done regarding sales. I believe that our farmers are now aware of this. When certified seeds are used, our costs per unit area also decrease. For example, with uncertified seed use, when the increased occurrence of diseases and pests and the resulting yield losses are added, certified seeds may sometimes seem expensive to our farmers. However, when the additional costs of using uncertified seeds are considered, they can exceed the cost of certified seeds."
Highlighting that certified seed production involves great efforts, Kırkgöz said, "Our companies producing certified seeds carry out regular field inspections from the day they plant the parent seeds in the field, ensuring the removal of foreign substances and disease control in the fields. These are matters that require effort and time, as the certified seed production process takes approximately 8-9 months. By contracting with farmers, we carry out this production and later clean the seeds harvested from these areas in processing facilities to meet the standards of certified seeds by removing waste or foreign materials to obtain clean seeds. The seeds are then treated with chemicals, packaged, and certified."