Severe Drought Hıts Agrıcultural Harvest In 2014

- Turkey's agricultural production hit by severe drought conditions during the seeding and blossoming period of the plants, in 2013-2014 harvest season, according to the Crop Production data, released by Turkish Statistical Institute.

Total harvest in cereals seen to fall by 6.6 percent and in fruits 6.2 percent while slightly increase seen at 0.4 percent in vegetables production in 2014, on annual basis.

Harvest volume seen approximately at 59.6 million tonnes in cereals and other crops, 28.6 million tonnes in vegetables and 17.1 million tonnes in fruits, said in the statement on the Crop Production data.

Cereals production fell by 12.7 percent to 32.7 million tonnes when compared with the previous year, reflecting 13.8 percent decrease ih wheat harvest to 19 million tonnes, 20.3 percent fall at barley production to 6.3 million tonnes, 7.8 percent fall at rice in the husk production to 830 thousand tonnes while maize production rose by 0.8 percent to 6.0 million tonnes.

In the pulses group volumes at chick peas harvest fell by 11.1 percent to 450 thousand tonnes, red lentil harvest fell by 17.7 percent to 325 thousand tonnes, potatoes, one of tuber crops harvest increased by 5.5 percent to 4.2 million tonnes.

In the group of oil seeds, sunflower production increased by 7.5 percent and became 1.6 million tonnes, with a 24.9 percent fall at tobacco harvest to 70 thousand tonnes while raw cotton production rose by 4.4 percent to 2.4 million tonnes and sugar beet production rose by 2.3 percent to 16.9 million tonnes.

On the other hand, vegetables production in 2014 became approximately 28.6 million tonnes with increasing rate of 0.4 percent when compared to the previous year.

Root and tuberous vegetables production fell by 4.2 percent, other vegetables not elsewhere classified with the rate of 2.7 percent and vegetables cultivated for their fruits increased with the rate of 0.9 percent, as subgroups of vegetables.

The production of some important crops in vegetables; tomatoes production rose by 0.3 percent, cucumber rose by 5.2 percent, while production of green pepper fell by 4.2 percent, in bell pepper fell by 1.9 percent and in dry onion fell by 6.0 percent.

Fruits production in 2014 became 17.1 million tonnes decreasing by 6.2 percent when compared to the previous year. The harvest of peaches fell by 20.7 percent, cherries fell by 9.9 percent, apricots fell by 65.4 percent, while banana harvest rose by 17.0 percent and olive production rose by 5.5 percent, on seasonal basis.

In the citrus group, increments became in mandarin production by 11.1 percent. From nuts, hazelnuts production decreased by 25 percent and walnuts by 14.8 percent.

When the shares of these flowers in the total ornamental plant production are examined, it is seen that total cut flowers have a share of 66 percent and other ornamental plants have a share of 34 percent.

Carnation, rose (cut), gerber daisy and daffodil productions increased by 1 percent, 4.5 percent, 4.6 percent and 33.3 percent respectively, when compared to the previous year.