A new era for idle agricultural land: The highest bidder will take it

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is implementing a new practice to bring long-unworked agricultural land back into production. Under this scope, land that has not been cultivated for two consecutive years will be available for seasonal lease starting September 1.

According to a report by Türkiye Gazetesi, commissions established within the ministry have identified idle land across Turkey using satellite imagery and field studies. According to the findings, there are 4,300 decares of unused land in Antalya, 10,000 decares in Konya, and 1,650 parcels in Kayseri. In some provinces, no idle land was found.

APPLICATIONS VIA BIDDING PROCESS

Lands that were identified as idle last year but have been cultivated this year have been removed from the list. Those interested in leasing the land will apply to provincial directorates by filling out an agricultural land lease request form. Applications can also be made through the Agricultural Land Valuation and Acquisition Information System.

In the event of multiple applications, the person who submits the highest bid will lease the land. If bids are equal, priority will be given to those with appropriate agricultural capacity or businesses adjacent to the land.

ANNOUNCEMENTS WILL BE POSTED FOR SEVEN DAYS

The rental price will be determined by taking into account the average of similar lands in the same region. The lands will be announced for seven days at local headman offices (muhtarlık), electronically, and on the websites of provincial directorates. Following the completion of the announcements, lease requests will be collected.

Contracts will be made on a seasonal basis and renewed every year. If it is determined that the land is being used for non-agricultural purposes, the lease will be canceled, and those responsible will not be allowed to participate in the following year's tenders.

A 75 BILLION LIRA CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMY

There are a total of 23 million hectares of agricultural land in Turkey. However, approximately 3 million hectares of this are not being used. According to 2023 data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), when an average agricultural value of 25,000 liras per hectare is calculated, it is expected that bringing idle land into production will contribute approximately 75 billion liras annually to the economy.

It is anticipated that this contribution will both increase the income of producers and help narrow the current account deficit by reducing import dependency.

INCOME DIRECTLY TO THE LANDOWNER

The income obtained during the leasing process will be transferred directly to the landowners without any deductions. For land where the owner is deceased and inheritance has not been settled, the rental fee will be deposited into accounts to be opened at public banks. Rightful owners will be able to receive their payments from these accounts.

With this regulation, property rights will continue to remain with the landowners. The Ministry denied claims that "lands are being confiscated."