ANKARA

Snowfall and rainfall across Türkiye have exceeded last season’s levels and returned to seasonal norms, raising expectations of record wheat production if excessive heat does not occur in the coming period, the president of the Ankara-based National Grain Council (UHK) said.

Yasar Serpi told Anadolu that climate risks last year affected the country’s grain sector, with irregular rainfall reducing yields, while insufficient rain during critical development periods led to losses of about 12.3%, bringing total grain output to 34.2 million tons in the 2024-2025 season.

Wheat production fell 13.7% to 17.9 million tons, barley declined 25.9% to 6 million tons, rye dropped 20.9% to 203,000 tons and oat decreased 26.3% to 288,000 tons, while corn production rose 5% to 8.6 million tons, he said.

Serpi said that while no major supply disruption emerged, climate risks have become a structural factor in agriculture, bringing support models for crop patterns compatible with climate change to the forefront of production planning.

Producers in drought-prone regions shifted toward wheat and barley cultivation, with wheat planting rising by 10% to 15% in some areas, he said.

Serpi said the impact of last year’s agricultural frost on cereal and pulse crops was limited but warned producers to remain cautious in the future.

With wheat cultivation expanding and rainfall increasing, Serpi said crop yields have been positive nationwide, but stressed that temperatures in April and May will be decisive.

“The timing of the rainfall is more important than the amount, so it is possible to have a cautious but optimistic outlook at this point,” he said.

Serpi said the UHK will hold an event in April focusing on climate risks, supply security and sustainable production, with discussions set to cover water management, efficiency, new variety development and market stability.

*Writing by Emir Yildirim in Istanbul