As part of our project, a Local Policy Dialogue Meeting was held in Şereflikoçhisar on 17 January 2026, in line with advocacy and planning activities aimed at enabling farmers to establish a rights-based agriculture council.
Drought, Water and Market Realities at the Centre
The meeting addressed strategic planning for 2026 in the context of increasing drought pressure, limited water resources and volatile market conditions in the Şereflikoçhisar area. It was emphasised that producers need to move to a model that focuses not only on production volume but also on harvest quality and marketability.
The following were addressed as priority topics within the planning process:
- Creating production–harvest calendars that are water-sensitive and take climate risks into account,
- Reducing post-harvest losses and improving product quality,
- Developing scheduled and organised marketing models instead of unplanned sales,
- Setting measurable targets for value-added products.
Smart Irrigation and Harvest Timing in Focus
The assessments made at the meeting indicated that smart irrigation and precision farming practices directly affect not only production but also harvest quality and the market value of the product. Accordingly, it was decided that 2026 planning would prioritise irrigation at the right time, harvest calendars based on water efficiency and drought-resistant cropping patterns.
Post-Harvest Processes and Added Value
It was emphasised that planning drying, processing, packaging and standardisation processes at a scale suited to producers, particularly for medicinal and aromatic plants, would increase the unit value of the product. It was noted that early and late harvest scenarios should be considered together with market demand and storage capacity.
Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism for 2026
At the end of the meeting, agreement was reached on regularly recording harvest and marketing data for the Şereflikoçhisar area, presenting the findings to policymakers in annual reports, and monitoring the implementation process throughout the season and revising it where necessary.
The local policy dialogue meeting was regarded as an important step towards giving producers' harvest and marketing decisions a data-driven and predictable structure aligned with climate and market realities.
