Determination of Standards and Certification Studies of Burdur Agriculture and Livestock Sector

PROJECT NAME:

Determination of Standards and Certification Studies of Burdur Agriculture and Livestock Sector

PROJECT COORDİNATOR:

Asist. Prof. Habibe YAMAN
 

PROJECT TOPIC:

The project focuses on determining and certifying standards in the livestock sector to contribute to the development of the provincial, regional, and national economy. The main objective is to evaluate and certify businesses, products, and production processes that comply with the defined standards for agriculture and livestock sectors.

It is crucial that agricultural and livestock activities, as well as the produced values, meet the demands of producers, consumers, industries, and practitioners while maintaining high quality. Producing agricultural and livestock products, which are in high demand globally, by considering regional conditions and establishing a market through standardized production of distinctive food items is essential. Therefore, the standards of products and materials used in the production and implementation stages need to be determined by experts in the field. Standardization and certification in agriculture and livestock are vital for creating national and international brands.

To improve productivity and quality in the relevant sectors, produce value-added products, and create brand value for regional products, standardization and certification processes must be conducted in agriculture and livestock. The project involves various areas such as dairy farming, small ruminant herding, free-range egg poultry farming, milk processing facilities, beekeeping, bee product production, and local products.

As part of the certification activities, workshops and meetings are organized in the initial stages of the project. Experts come together to discuss the main problems and potential solutions in agriculture and livestock sectors through collaborative brainstorming sessions. The insights gained are developed into content and areas requiring improvement are identified. Furthermore, information is gathered from accredited farms in various countries (e.g., Cyprus) and organizations conducting standardization work to inform the process.

Basic standards (such as farm physical standards, livestock process standards, qualifications and standards for livestock farmers, and livestock product standards) are being established, with the aim of setting strong and applicable criteria that can serve as a model for national efforts. Initially, the project has been implemented in Burdur province, where evaluation visits are conducted to farms/businesses selected on a specific scale. The goal is to assess whether they operate according to the determined standards in the livestock sector, and certify those that do.

Institutions and organizations involved in the process are provided with education and information about the application, and necessary promotions for applications are conducted. Evaluation and certification visits are made to selected pilot farms to raise awareness and promote standardization and certification efforts. In later stages, farms/businesses applying for certification undergo a preliminary assessment, and evaluation visits are initiated for suitable candidates. Certification is granted incrementally to businesses that meet the established criteria, and post-certification monitoring of farms continues to ensure the sustainability of quality.

The dairy farm certification program was accredited on January 6, 2022, the small ruminant certification program on July 26, 2022, and the free-range egg poultry farming certification program in 2023, all under the TS EN ISO/IEC 17065 Standard by the Turkish Accreditation Agency. This has made Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKU) the first and only authorized institution in Turkey in this field. Organizations with the necessary infrastructure that wish to carry out certification activities can now apply to the MAKU Center for Standardization and Certification in Agriculture and Livestock to obtain an “Authorization Certificate.” With this certificate, they can continue their fieldwork for certification. To date, one organization has completed the process and gained authorization to conduct fieldwork as a "Certification Body."
 

PROJECT OBJECTIVE:

The Western Mediterranean region, especially Burdur province, is a rich agricultural and livestock area due to its socio-economic and geographical characteristics. Burdur stands out as the province with the most intensive agricultural and livestock production in the region. The primary economic sectors in Burdur are agriculture, livestock farming, and the marble industry. In rural areas, agriculture and livestock serve as the main sources of income, whether for subsistence or for market-oriented production.

The main objective of this project is to reveal the socio-economic conditions of groups involved in livestock farming in rural areas of Burdur and to identify the challenges facing the livestock sector. To achieve this, meetings were held with the Burdur Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and the District Agriculture Directorates across the province to identify the villages with the most intensive livestock activities. A field study was conducted in 33 villages across 11 districts, including the central district, where face-to-face interviews were conducted with producers. Through these interviews, data on the current social and economic conditions of producers were gathered, and the problems they face within the livestock sector were identified. Additionally, producers' expectations and proposed solutions to the issues they encounter were also gathered.

The project primarily aims to identify the dynamics that shape the social and economic structure of the livestock sector in Burdur. In this context, the project seeks to outline the challenges faced by the livestock sector and provide a framework for understanding the difficulties experienced by those working within the sector.

REGIONAL IMPACT OF THE PROJECT:

According to the research findings, producers face many challenges both during the production process and in marketing their products. The most prominent issues raised by producers are as follows:

• Lack or insufficiency of pastures,
• High feed costs,
• Low production of forage crops,
• Inadequate feed facilities,
• Lack of collaboration with universities,
• Insufficient inspections,
• Bureaucratic obstacles,
• Inadequate incentives,
• High energy costs,
• Animal diseases,
• Animal deaths,
• Low milk yield,
• Low milk prices,
• Insufficient milking centers,
• Irregular and poorly maintained shelters,
• Small-scale operations,
• Lack of employment,
• Capacity utilization problems,
• Inadequate irrigation facilities,
• Difficulty in obtaining feed,
• Local/regional sales and marketing limitations,
• Insufficient dairy processing facilities,
• Insufficient training and advisory services.

Based on these findings, macro-level policies should be developed for the livestock sector across Burdur province. Among the most critical issues for producers are the high production costs and low prices for the products. Therefore, support should be provided to producers, especially in accessing feed and energy resources, and ways to obtain these at lower costs should be explored. It is also believed that government subsidies and incentives should be restructured. Regulations should be made regarding the import of feed and livestock, which negatively affect domestic producers. Animal diseases and deaths place a heavy burden on producers, and in this context, on-site training can be provided to raise awareness of animal health and care. In areas with high production, every village could be provided with a veterinarian if necessary.

The livestock sector, which plays a vital role in Burdur's economy, is unfortunately found to be strong mainly at the production stage. In other words, the capacity for processing animal products is quite low. Investments should focus on processing and marketing products near production sites, accelerating these efforts. By processing and marketing high-quality products within the province, economic gains could increase. Additionally, this would create new employment opportunities, potentially slowing the migration of young people to other provinces.

Expanding this initiative across the province could lead to a more efficient and healthier production process by developing solutions based on face-to-face meetings with producers and key actors in the sector.
 

SOCIAL IMPACT OF THE PROJECT:

The livestock sector and its associated by-products have always made significant economic contributions to our country. However, like many other sectors, livestock farming has been left to its own fate for a long time due to the absence or inadequacy of economic and social policies, with the problems of producers being largely ignored. Import-based initiatives have similarly put domestic producers in a difficult position. The findings from the field research conducted in 33 villages with intensive livestock activities across Burdur province can provide valuable insights into developing policies that could improve the local livestock sector.

Through face-to-face interviews conducted over extended periods, the conditions and problems of producers involved in the livestock sector have been identified and presented in as much detail as possible. Improvements and regulatory efforts made in Burdur in response to the issues faced by the livestock sector, which is often in the news for its challenges as well as its economic importance, could in the long run inform macro-level policies for the entire country. Addressing the challenges faced by producers—the key actors in the sector—through targeted interventions is crucial to resolving the sector’s problems.

Therefore, resolving the issues identified through on-site interventions could prevent these problems from escalating further and play a key role in shaping national livestock sector policies. In this way, this project may have a significant positive impact, not only on the local level but also in terms of guiding broader national strategies for the livestock industry.