Completed project (April 2012 - July 2012)
Origin of funding: Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB)
The aim of the Project was to analyze the current situation in the crops that are fundamental for the activities of Agricultural Cooperatives and their Unions (namely cotton, oil seeds, olive, raisin, dried fig and hazelnut), the effects of various subvention and financing models on the actors of the value chain and the sustainability of the Unions under their current financial and managerial status. By doing so, it was intended to contribute to the design of alternative policies that are underway regarding these institutions and to the sustainable production of aforementioned crops in Turkey. In line with this intention, a pilot study on cultivation of sunflower seed and production of sunflower oil was conducted with the Ministry of Customs and Trade specialists, through which the developed analysis framework would be adapted for other crops as well. The pilot study includes:
- In depth analysis of the current situation in sunflower seed and oil under 4 headings: factors of production, strategies and competitive environment, domestic and international demand conditions and other related sectors;
- Determination of the roles of Agricultural Cooperatives and their Unions in the cultivation of sunflower seeds and the production of sunflower oil in Turkey and analysis of the effects of various subvention mechanisms on different actors in the supply chain;
- Investigation of the financial and managerial status of the Unions and the measures to be taken for their sustainability;
- Investigation of the best practices of Agricultural Cooperatives and their Unions in the world.
Within the scope of the project, TEPAV has provided the following services:
- Analysis of the value chain of sunflower oil in Turkey (from sunflower seed cultivation to the marketing and consumption of sunflower oil) and its relative position with respect to other producers in the World;
- Field studies conducted in Karadenizbirlik and Trakyabirlik, for further assessment of the Union’s role in the production of sunflower seed and oil so as to analyse the necessity and sustainability of the role of Unions in sun flower seed and oil production;
- A report prepared on the current situation analysis of sunflower seed and oil production, the assessment of roles and effects of Unions on different actors and stakeholders in the sunflower oil value chain and the investigation of financial and managerial status of two Unions in sunflower seed and oil production (Karadenizbirlik and Trakyabirlik) so as to devise measures to be taken for their sustainability.