Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı, who participated in the apricot harvest in Malatya, stated that they revisited the same orchard after last year's agricultural frost, emphasizing that the support provided to producers is crucial for the continuation of production.
Minister Yumaklı, who came to Malatya for a series of programs, recalled visiting the same orchard after the severe agricultural frost in April last year. Yumaklı stated that there were no products on the trees at that time, and they told the producers that the state would stand by them.
Stating that there was no hope in the orchard last year, Minister Yumaklı said, "From here, we told all our producers affected by agricultural frost in Malatya and across Turkey, 'Do not worry at all. As the state, as the government, we are with you. Do not cut down any trees. We will be with you on how to care for them. Our colleagues will be by your side. Hopefully, next season we will get products from these trees that will make us all smile.' And indeed, that is what happened. Today, we see a very beautiful product that makes us all smile and casts away the pessimistic times of last year."
Minister Yumaklı noted that apricots are one of Turkey's strategic products, stating, "As Turkey, we rank first in apricot production worldwide. Malatya also ranks first in production within Turkey. Malatya apricots have a geographical indication. Malatya's share in dried apricot production is 85%. Therefore, it is possible to say that Malatya is a gateway to the whole world in terms of apricots. Apricots contribute approximately 19 billion liras to Malatya's economy."
Yumaklı stated that swift action was taken following last year's agricultural frost, upon the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying, "A total of approximately 47 billion liras in agricultural frost support was provided, including insurance damage payments to producers who had TARSİM insurance, and to enable uninsured producers to continue production. Approximately 8 billion liras of this amount reached Malatya. In our discussions with producers, it was once again seen how important this is for the sustainability of production."
Yumaklı also touched upon the activities of the Apricot Research Institute operating in Malatya, stating that efforts are ongoing to increase the added value of apricots, with particular emphasis on expanding sulfuring and drying facilities. Yumaklı stated that they revisited the orchard of the producer they visited last year, saying, "When we came to Hüseyin abi's orchard last year, we saw his face was a bit downcast. We embraced him and said, 'Don't worry at all, as the state, we are with both you and all our producers.' There are approximately 3,400 trees in this 408-decare area."
Stating that climate change directly affects agriculture, Yumaklı called on producers to take out agricultural insurance, saying, "Climate change has now started to affect everything we do. We need to be prepared for this. Let us reiterate the importance of taking out agricultural insurance. It is not possible to sustainably compensate for the problems that our uninsured producers will face later. It is no longer possible to know today what the climate will bring us tomorrow. But we must be prepared."
Yumaklı pointed out the importance of producers heeding the Ministry's guidance after agricultural disasters, saying, "When such an event occurs, let us not rely on hearsay, but strictly adhere to the guidance provided by our Ministry for the continuation and realization of production. If we do this, we will achieve today's positive results."
At the end of his speech, Minister Yumaklı wished for the ongoing harvest season in Malatya and across the country to be auspicious, bountiful, and free from accidents. - MALATYA