“I immediately approached the Agricultural and Rural Development Support Institution (ARDSI) when I heard that a cooperative in Kastamonu had acquired a combine harvester with their support. I explained our interest in obtaining a grant for a combine harvester at which point they said we could receive the grant in question if we applied with a proper project.”
Zekeriya Gülmez, President of the Chamber of Agriculture and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sincan Agricultural Development Cooperative, explains how the story started. Determined to buy a combine harvester, Gülmez founded the cooperative with seven other members in 2020. After months of preparation, he applied to the ARDSI for a European Union (EU) backed grant for the ‘Başak Machinery Park’ project.
Zekeriya Gülmez, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sincan Agricultural Development Cooperative
“As we have two friends under 40 on our board, both women who are agricultural engineers, we came first in the ARDSI scoring system with 90 points and were eligible for a grant for the first combine harvester project in Ankara,” says Zekeriya Gülmez.
Park was constructed on a 1,000-square-metre area
The project secured 75% grant support from the ARDSI, which implemented the EU’s rural development (IPARD) programme. Gülmez’s first priority was acquiring the combine harvester the growers longed for. Then, he built the Başak Machinery Park on an area of one thousand square metres.
Although the Cooperative is still new, the number of members has doubled in a short time. There are now 14 members who can use the machinery, including the combine harvester, free of charge.
Machinery is used free of charge by the members of the cooperative
Sevcan Arap Kaplan, a board member and agricultural engineer, says: “Sincan Municipality and Ankara Metropolitan Municipality support our cooperative.” The cooperative carries out production trials with different fertilisers and seeds. The project aims to enable 200 farmers to work 6,000 decares of land with agricultural vehicles of the machinery park.
Merve Özkan, another board member and agricultural engineer, states: “We work for the benefit of our farmers. We also provide free advice to our farmers at the Chamber of Agriculture.”
Lifeline for Small Farmers
Cooperative members are satisfied with the project. “We used to rent agricultural equipment, but now we can use the combine harvester and other machines for free. We have benefited greatly from the project; God bless the European Union,” remarked producer Yunus Şimşek.
Zekeriya Gülmez, Sevcan Arap Kaplan, Merve Özkan, and İsmail Öcal
Another producer, İsmail Öcal, says: “We have our own combine harvester, but I supported this project to help my friends. I also joined the board of directors of the cooperative. Buying agricultural machinery is now very difficult because the prices are high. So, the project is beneficial, especially for small farmers. Cooperatives should be distributed throughout Türkiye.”
IPARD cover the whole of Türkiye
The Charge d’Affaires ad interim of the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, Mr Jurgis Vilčinskas, states: “IPARD plays a crucial role in modernising and developing not only agriculture but also tourism, creating employment opportunities, and improving living conditions in rural areas. In March, the geographical scope of the IPARD III programme was extended from 42 to 81 provinces to cover the whole of Türkiye. This decision of the European Commission will significantly extend the scope of the cofounded IPARD programme’s potential beneficiaries.”
What is IPARD?
IPARD is a special EU financial assistance programme for rural development, part of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). It represents a flagship area of cooperation between the EU and Türkiye, financially assisting farmers, rural communities and the agri-food sector. Since 2011, 25,000 beneficiaries have received €1.4 billion in EU support, and more will during the IPARD III program. IPARD also provides support for new investments and technology and ensures that European standards are implemented in Turkish agriculture, food processing, and rural businesses.
IPARD is run fully by the Turkish Authorities accredited by the European Commission services.
The main IPARD Turkish institutions are:
- the Agriculture & Rural Development Support Institute (ARDSI or ‘IPARD Agency’), responsible for implementation and payment;
- the Managing Authority, located in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, responsible for programming, monitoring, reporting and publicity; and
- the National Authorising Officer, responsible for financial management of EU funds.