Turkish Red Crescent provides 70.8 million support to 2,797 farmers affected by the earthquake.

Turkish Red Crescent has made a payment of 70.8 million lira to 2,797 farmers as part of the first phase of the Farmer Support Program initiated to support the revival of agriculture and livestock in the earthquake-affected area.

After the earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş, Turkish Red Crescent has completed the first phase of the Farmer Support Program. The program aims to enable farmers whose production tools were damaged in the six provinces most affected by the earthquake to continue their agricultural and livestock activities and to support production in the region. A total of 70 million 870 thousand lira was paid as the first stage of the support amount, which will be given to 2,797 farmers in two phases.

Among the 2,797 farmers benefiting from the first phase of the Farmer Support Program, there are 538 in Kahramanmaraş, 439 in Hatay, 388 in Malatya, 591 in Adıyaman, 455 in Gaziantep, and 386 in Osmaniye. These farmers are small-scale producers whose main source of income is agriculture and livestock, and who have suffered losses in products and equipment.

While determining the farmers to be supported, the Red Crescent collaborated with the Provincial Directorates of Agriculture in the six provinces. A requirement was set for farmers to be registered in the Farmer Registration System (ÇKS) or the Animal Registration System (Türkvet). The amount of support to be provided under the program was determined based on criteria such as the area planted or the number of cattle/sheep owned, according to the relevant records, measuring the farmers’ production capacity.

With the Farmer Support Program, which was initiated to support the revival of agriculture and livestock-based production in the provinces affected by the earthquake, the Red Crescent contributes to helping producers procure agricultural inputs, equipment, raw materials, and other materials to get back on their feet. Farmers benefiting from the first phase of the program will receive their second phase payments in November if they are deemed eligible at the end of the monitoring and evaluation process. Thus, the total support provided by the Red Crescent through the Farmer Support Program will reach 141 million 740 thousand lira in 2024.

Within the framework of the program launched after the earthquakes on February 6, Turkish Red Crescent provided a total of 24 million 761 thousand lira in cash support to 860 farmers in 2023, and continues to work to revive agriculture and livestock-based production in the earthquake-affected area.