With government support, farmers’ expenses have decreased, and silage corn production has reached 128 thousand tons.

With the contributions of stakeholder institutions and organizations in Bingöl, the support provided to farmers in the form of machinery and equipment has increased silage corn production from 14,000 tons to 128,000 tons over the course of 7 years. Farmers have reduced their expenses by half by renting machinery with state support instead of purchasing them.

Under the coordination of the Bingöl Governorship, with co-financing support from the DAP Development Administration, Provincial Special Administration, Fırat Development Agency, Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, and Bingöl Breeding Cattle Producers Union, the “Agricultural Machinery Park and Silage Packaging Facility,” which is unique in the Eastern Anatolia Region, has halved farmers’ costs. Farmers are increasing their profits and production by opting to rent machinery and equipment with state support instead of buying them.

The Agricultural Machinery Park and Silage Packaging Facility, established on an area of 22 decares in the village of Ekinyolu, includes 10 trailers, 1 stone crushing machine, 1 silage (bag) packaging machine, 1 4×4 tractor with a front loader and bale attachment, 2 pneumatic row crop planters, 6 independent row silage mowers, 1 stone collection machine, 1 solid fertilizer distribution machine, 1 rotary ear plow, 1 silage packaging (baling) machine, 1 laser land leveling machine, 2 milk collection vehicles with 3-ton capacity tanks, 1 self-propelled silage mower, 1 mini loader, 1 300-kilo alfalfa baler, and 1 rotavator.

Bingöl Governor Ahmet Hamdi Usta, who visited the facility in the region, first examined the equipment and then participated in the corn harvest. Speaking with farmers and gathering information from relevant institution heads, Governor Usta made statements regarding agricultural investments. He stated that they will continue to advance Bingöl in agriculture and livestock, “We participated in the agricultural machinery park and silage packaging facility, which provides significant convenience to farmers in Bingöl, and the silage harvesting activity where this machinery is used. First of all, when we look at the development of agriculture in Bingöl, farming is done on 165,000 hectares. Additionally, in terms of livestock, we have 126,000 large cattle, 556,000 small cattle, and 174,000 beehives in Bingöl. We are trying to advance Bingöl. Under the coordination of our governorship, we have started to develop various projects with the contributions of our Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, Breeding Cattle Producers Union, DAP, FKA, and the Special Administration. The most important of these projects is to increase the inventory of machines, improve the quality of production, increase employment, and work on creating a good machinery park by using modern agricultural techniques,” he said.

“In the last 7 years, silage corn production has increased ninefold from 14,000 tons to a capacity of 128,000 tons.”
Governor Usta stated that silage corn production has increased ninefold, saying, “In the last 7 years, silage corn production has increased ninefold from 14,000 tons to a capacity of 128,000 tons. Of course, in this, the contributions of our Breeding Cattle Producers Union with co-financing support are very significant. Therefore, currently, we have a contracted farming model on approximately 1,500 hectares through our breeding cattle producers union. In the coming process, again with the contributions of our Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, we plan to further increase mechanization and expand our machinery park and equipment in the 22-decare area,” he said.

“The machinery park and silage packaging facility is one of the first and only ones in Eastern Anatolia.”
Governor Usta expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, stating, “I would like to thank our Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Because the explanations we provide and the projects we present are being well received. We are receiving substantial support from our ministry. Because this machinery park and silage packaging facility is one of the first and only ones in Eastern Anatolia. There are 4-5 places in Turkey. Inshallah, in the coming years, we will increase the number of these silage packaging machines and further enhance our machinery park. I wish our farmers a profitable season,” he said.

Farmer and livestock breeder Adem Evci, who stated that he produces corn with the machinery support provided by the state, said, “Our state has provided the machines, and we are comfortable. We harvest our corn easily; we previously could not plant or harvest corn, we had no opportunities. Now the state has given us these opportunities. There are machines, we have harvesters. We could not do it before; we were only feeding our animals with grass and straw. Now we also feed them with corn. Because there are machines, we can do this job more comfortably,” he expressed.

Governor Usta was accompanied by Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Burhan Bahadır and President of the Bingöl Breeding Cattle Producers Union Doğan Koç.