PAKDEMİRLİ: LAND CONSOLIDATION PROJECTS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Bekir Pakdemirli said that in parallel with Turkey's 2023 objectives, primarily modern irrigation projects where economically irrigated areas of 8.5 million hectares and simultaneously land consolidation projects will be implemented.

According to a written statement from the ministry, it is emphasized that land consolidation and irrigation is one of the most important measures to increase productivity in the country which has about 28 million hectares of agricultural land.

14.2 million hectares of agricultural land in the country is suitable for land consolidation. In this context, land registration activities have been completed on 3.6 million hectares of land within the scope of consolidation works carried out by various institutions and organizations on 8.2 million hectares until 2018.

Minister Pakdemirli stated in the statement that the purpose of land consolidation is not only to combine larger agricultural parcels to obtain larger parcels, "Land consolidation together with irrigation, in-field development operations, such as other infrastructure services need to consider. The authority to conduct land consolidation work was given to the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works, which also implemented irrigation projects" he noted.

"Last year, 496 thousand hectares of the title deed registration process has been completed. This year 153 thousand hectares of registration work has been completed. In this way, we aim to contribute greatly to the realization of rural development targets" Pakdemirli added.

"AN INCREASE IN FARMER REVENUES"

Pakdemirli pointed out that the implementation of the consolidation process in parallel with irrigation projects will provide significant savings in irrigation investment costs and continued as follows:

"While planning the channels and roads in irrigation projects, we are bound to the parcel boundaries to prevent expropriation and fragmentation of the land. So these channels and roads are passed through the land boundaries. Therefore, the small size of the parcels are irregular, which increases the channel cost more than necessary. If the land is applied depending on the consolidation of the parcel boundaries are not connected to the cost savings are provided. Thanks to the consolidation of the road between the village center, parcel distance, time spent, fuel costs are reduced. Thus at least 25 percent increase in farmers' income."