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A 2027 central government budget proposal submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) allocates about 1 trillion 305 billion lira to agriculture, including 235 billion lira in farm support programs and 268 billion lira in sector investment appropriations.

Agricultural support funding rises from 168 billion lira to 235 billion lira, an increase the head of the Turkish Chamber of Agricultural Engineers says will help farmers because it exceeds the government's general inflation target for the year.

Overall agricultural funding rises sharply

According to a review by an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent of the 2027 Central Government Budget Law Proposal, the resources earmarked for agriculture in the budget have been growing year by year.

The proposal increases the total amount allocated to agriculture by 416.8 billion lira compared with the 2026 budget, bringing the overall figure for 2027 to approximately 1 trillion 305 billion lira. Investment appropriations for the agricultural sector for next year were set at 268 billion lira.

Support, credit and tax spending allocations

Funding for agricultural support programs climbs from 168 billion lira to 235 billion lira under the draft budget. The proposal also sets aside 325 billion lira for agricultural credit support and 342 billion lira in tax expenditures for the agricultural sector.

A further 135 billion lira is allocated to the financing of state-owned agricultural enterprises, intervention purchases and export support. The budget for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry was set at 760.6 billion lira for 2027, while the appropriation for the State Hydraulic Works (DSI), the largest public investor in agriculture, rises from 233 billion lira to 324 billion lira.

Support growth above inflation target welcomed

Fehmi Kiraz, president of the Turkish Chamber of Agricultural Engineers (Türk Ziraat Yüksek Mühendisleri Birliği), said 888 billion lira was allocated to the agricultural sector last year, a figure raised by about 47 percent to 1 trillion 305 billion lira in the 2027 budget. Direct agricultural support increased by nearly 40 percent, Kiraz said.

"With a general inflation target of 21 percent for 2027, the increase in agricultural support remaining above that level will definitely affect farmers positively. We view this increase favorably," Kiraz said. "Support is not a farmer's main income source, it is a driving force. What needs to be addressed are the factors that raise input costs. Formulating product costs and product prices in a way that rewards the producer is important for the sustainability of production."

Intervention purchases budget raised

Kiraz said product prices came in lower than expected this year, with fruit in particular sold at prices below those of previous years. "The 181 percent increase in the intervention purchase budget of state-owned enterprises, we hope, is intended to prevent these fluctuations next year," Kiraz said. "If intervention is carried out at the right time, it will bring gains to the farmer."

Key takeaways

• The 2027 budget proposal allocates about 1 trillion 305 billion lira to agriculture, an increase of 416.8 billion lira over 2026
• Agricultural support programs are set at 235 billion lira, up from 168 billion lira
• Sector investment appropriations reach 268 billion lira, while the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry budget is 760.6 billion lira
• Agricultural support growth exceeds the 21 percent inflation target, which Fehmi Kiraz says will benefit farmers