Purpose of the Meeting
This local policy dialogue meeting was held as part of the advocacy and monitoring work carried out in Adana province, with the aim of raising awareness in the region, identifying the problems farmers face in the production process directly in the field and assessing these problems from a precision farming perspective. As part of the activity, a meeting was held with members of the Tapaneli Entrepreneurial Women's Cooperative, together with İrfan Yüksek, who is responsible for advocacy and monitoring activities.
Scope and Process of the Meeting
The local policy dialogue meeting began with mutual introductions and field-focused assessments. During the meeting, cooperative members described in detail how the lavender production process has developed, current practices and the structural problems they face.
Key Problems Identified in the Field
1. Water Scarcity and Lack of Irrigation
The inadequacy of water resources in the region and the lack of irrigation infrastructure are causing lavender seedlings to dry out.
The fact that support for crop production is not provided alongside water and irrigation support leads to crop losses and waste.
Extreme heat and adverse weather conditions linked to climate change are seriously affecting production efficiency.
2. Lack of Training and Incorrect Agricultural Practices
Due to farmers' lack of hands-on agricultural training, the following are commonly observed:
Incorrect planting times,
Incorrect irrigation methods,
Incorrect fertilisation practices.
Lavender planted in areas unsuited to the altitude and microclimate conditions fails to produce an adequate harvest.
3. Livestock and Feed Problem
The shortage of local dairy feed producers in the village was cited as an important factor making it difficult to sustain livestock farming.
Meeting Outcomes
At the local policy dialogue meeting, producers particularly highlighted uncertainties and structural problems related to the harvest period. Farmers stated that difficulties in finding seasonal agricultural workers are foremost among the main problems they face at harvest time. The shortage of labour in the region increases the risk of the harvest not being completed on time and causes crop losses.
In addition, producers have serious concerns about the marketability of harvested products. They raised the risk that, because products cannot reach enough buyers and because of logistics and market access problems, crops may be left unharvested or sold below their value. It was noted that these uncertainties increase economic losses, particularly for products such as lavender, which have a short harvest window and are sensitive to timing.
Proposed Solutions
Harvest Season Labour Planning:
It is recommended that a pool of seasonal agricultural workers be established before the harvest in cooperation with local governments and relevant institutions, and that programmes be developed to encourage the involvement of women and young workers in harvest processes.
Cooperative-Based Harvest Organisation:
The aim should be to reduce the effects of labour shortages by planning a joint harvest calendar and equipment sharing within the cooperative.
Marketing and Sales Guarantee Mechanisms:
It is recommended that advance contracts be made with buyers before the harvest and that models with guaranteed purchase of produce be developed through municipalities and cooperatives. In this way, the risk of crops being left unharvested can be reduced.
Strengthening Value-Added Production:
To reduce dependence on the sale of raw produce, it is important to process lavender into value-added products and to strengthen direct-to-consumer sales channels (festivals, local markets, e-commerce).
Training on the Harvest and Marketing Process:
It is recommended that hands-on training be organised for producers on harvest timing, labour management and marketing strategies.
