İZMİR - As part of the “Precision Farming for a Greener Tomorrow: Advocating for Sustainable Agriculture” project, an official visit was paid to Urla Municipality to voice the problems of local producers in Urla and to seek solutions at local government level. The project team, local producers and cooperative stakeholders met with municipal officials to assess agricultural development processes in the region and to discuss how the current situation on the ground could be integrated into local government policies.
At the meeting, the problems relayed by producers from the field, gaps in institutional coordination and expectations of the local government were conveyed directly to municipal officials. In particular, it was pointed out that preserving local varieties through individual efforts is becoming difficult due to economic concerns or workload, and the need for systematic joint work that also involves local governments was emphasised. In addition, attention was drawn to the bureaucratic obstacles that prevent grant and credit support from reaching genuine producers, as well as to gaps in technical knowledge, and a request was made for the municipality to act as a more effective bridge for agricultural funds and the flow of information. Requests concerning the need of women farmers and women agricultural engineers working in rural areas for institutional guidance and technical direction, and the inclusion in municipal planning of precision farming investments such as smart irrigation infrastructure for the efficient use of natural resources, cost reduction and water management, were also shared with the administration. At the end of the visit, it was once again underlined that sustainable rural development is only possible through strong institutional cooperation, fair support mechanisms and inclusive policies.
