Climate change, invasive species threaten Türkiye’s agriculture

Raw Hazelnut

Vegetables

Published Jan 8, 2024

Tridge summary

Climate change and invasive species are causing a decline in production of cash crops like olives, hazelnuts, pistachios, and cotton in Türkiye. The increase in temperatures and the population of invasive species are major factors contributing to the drop in yield, with experts calling for urgent action to address the situation. Additionally, late rainfalls, mild winters, and the impact of drought are also affecting crop yield, while the aging farmer population and migration of young people to other cities are posing challenges for the agriculture sector in Türkiye.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

Climate change and invasive species are threatening production in Türkiye’s agriculture sector, posing risks especially to cash crops, such as olive, hazelnut and pistachio. The latest numbers from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) showed that the country’s citrus production increased, while there was a steep decline in olive, hazelnut, pistachio and cotton production. Last year, the country’s olive production plunged 49 percent, while the declines in pistachio and hazelnut were 26.4 percent and 15 percent, respectively. One of the main reasons for the drop in production is climate change, according to experts. Drought, frost and invasive species all impacted the yield of crops, they said, calling for urgent actions before the situation worsens. “Climate change is one reason. Temperatures in winter months are some 5 to 6 degrees Celsius above the averages but we also face risks from frost from March to mid-April,” said Atakan Akça from the Trabzon Chamber of Agriculture, ...

Source: Hurriyetdailynews