Adoption and impacts of improved winter and spring wheat varieties in Turkey

Abstract

Wheat is one of the most important agricultural commodities in Turkey, and the country ranks among the top ten producers in the world. It is a staple and strategic crop, and an essential food in the Turkish diet, consumed mostly as bread, but also as bulgur, yufka (flat bread) and cookies. Total annual wheat production is estimated at 17.7 million tonnes, valued at approximately US$5 billion in 2006/07 (FAO, 2009). Value addition via processing make the wheat industry one of the major sectors in the economy. Wheat production increased in the late 1970s, enabling the country to become a wheat exporter, though production declined in the 1980s. With its research infrastructure and a core of well-trained scientists, Turkey has also made a significant contribution to international efforts to improve winter wheat production. In 1986, the government of Turkey and CIMMYT, joined by ICARDA in 1990, established the International Winter Wheat Improvement Program (IWWIP). Several improved wheat varieties have since been jointly developed, disseminated and grown by producers both in Turkey and elsewhere in the world. Other varieties were also introduced into the country, particularly with the implementation of new agricultural policies in the 1980s, and both private companies and public agencies introduced new varieties at an accelerated rate. However, there has been no systematic monitoring of the adoption of these varieties, and economic impacts on producers were not evaluated. Key socio-economic research questions remain unanswered, especially whether these improved varieties have effectively contributed to achieving their intended impacts.