Türkiye's agricultural drive uses local tech for food security and growth

Türkiye is harnessing homegrown engineering talent to develop critical agricultural and livestock technologies, aiming for greater self-sufficiency and stability in food production. Abdulkadir Karagoz, head of the Agricultural Technologies Cluster (TUME), emphasized this national priority during his address at the Take Off Türkiye Startup Summit in Istanbul, framing technology as the essential solution to contemporary global challenges.

The imperative for technological sovereignty

Karagoz linked the agricultural tech drive directly to Türkiye's broader National Technology Move, which has built engineering confidence over the past decade. "When you don't produce defense or agricultural technologies, your dependency grows instead of your capabilities," he stated, underscoring the strategic shift from reliance to indigenous innovation. This effort is now visible in civilian sectors, with events like TEKNOFEST incorporating dedicated agricultural technology sections to unite developers, universities, and start-ups under one cluster.

Addressing productivity and sustainability challenges

Despite tripling its agricultural output in 25 years and becoming a major exporter, Türkiye faces persistent issues with price volatility and sustainability. Karagoz identified depleting water resources, soil pollution, and an aging farmer demographic as critical pressures. He also pointed to global geopolitical risks where "food is being used as a weapon," citing recent crises, which make domestic food supply security a non-negotiable imperative. The solution, he argued, lies in leaving behind outdated methods. "If we don't drive cars from 25 years ago... why are we using technology from 50 years ago in agriculture?"

A model for the future: autonomy and efficiency

The adoption of autonomous technologies for monitoring and milking is already increasing productivity on Turkish farms. Karagoz presented a vision where advanced genetics, embryo transfer, and smart automation could dramatically raise efficiency. For instance, increasing milk yield per cow from 2,000 to 10,000 liters would allow the same national production with far fewer animals, conserving resources. To realize this, TUME is seeking to train thousands of young people in agri-tech and connect them with financial investors, ensuring the sector's future is both high-tech and homegrown.