Evaluation of Information and Communication Technology Utilisation in Turkish Agriculture

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: Special, 270 - 282, 28.12.2025

Gülfinaz Özoğul

https://doi.org/10.31015/2025.si.13

https://izlik.org/JA42BC34LB

Abstract

This paper aims to reflect on the current state of digital transformation in Turkish agriculture and to evaluate the ICT data published by the Turkish Statistical Institute and the Agricultural Outlook Field Surveys published by the Credit Registry Office. One of the important objectives of this study is to measure the level of digital literacy among farmers and to identify the needs and opportunities in this area for agricultural enterprises and present them to relevant stakeholders. In addition, the article discusses the development of digital technologies in agriculture, barriers to the use of ICT, activities, and ongoing initiatives related to the use of ICT. As a result, Turkey has made significant progress in digitalization in the agricultural sector in recent years, with higher-income agricultural enterprises tending to use more ICT. The main barriers to ICT utilization are farmers' technology acceptance dynamics, lack of ICT knowledge, and technology cost. With 91% of farmers owning smartphones and 85% using the internet—numbers that continue to rise—increasing digital literacy enables agricultural enterprises to develop products and services that support participation, efficiency, and sustainability. The most common uses of ICT by farmers are 78% agricultural weather/meteorological information services, 66% agricultural news, and 34% crop/input prices. Digital services that farmers may be interested in, in addition to the existing ones are 35% satellite monitoring of their land, 35% asking agricultural questions via mobile/internet, 17% information about diseases and pests, and 11% agricultural technologies. The integration of young people in the agricultural sector offers an excellent opportunity for the effective use of agricultural technologies. Digitalization of agriculture will ensure global food security, environmental sustainability, combating climate change, creating a more efficient and sustainable agricultural system, as well as economic gain and competitive advantage.

Keywords

ICT , ICT adoption , Digitalization , Turkish agriculture , ICT in agriculture

References

• Alvarez, J., & Nuthall, P. (2006). Adoption of computer based information systems: The case of dairy farmers in Canterbury, NZ, and Florida, Uruguay. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 50(1), 48–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2005.08.013
• Arion, F. H., Harutyunyan, G., Aleksanyan, V., Muradyan, M., Asatryan, H., & Manucharyan, M. (2024). Determining digitalization issues (ICT adoption, digital literacy, and the digital divide) in rural areas by using sample surveys: the case of Armenia. Agriculture, 14(2), 249. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14020249
• Azari, M.M., Solanki, S., Chatzinotas, S., Kodheli, O., Sallouha, H., Colpaert, A., Montoya, J.F.M., Pollin, S., Haqiqatnejad, A., Mostaani, A., & Ottersten, B. (2022). Evolution of non-terrestrial networks from 5G to 6G: A Survey. IEEE Commun. Surv. Tutorials, 24(4), 2633–2672. https://doi.org/10.1109/COMST.2022.3199901
• Ben-Daya, M., Hassini, E., & Bahroun, Z. (2019). Internet of things and supply chain management: a literature review. International Journal of Production Research, 57(15-16), 4719-4742. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2017.1402140
• Birkel, H. S., & Hartmann, E. (2019). Impact of IoT challenges and risks for SCM. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 24(1), 39-61.
• Bolfe, É. L., Jorge, L. A. D. C., Sanches, I. D., Luchiari Júnior, A., Da Costa, C. C., Victoria, D. D. C., Inamasu, R. Y., Grego, C. R., Ferreira, V. R., & Ramirez, A. R. (2020). Precision and digital agriculture: Adoption of technologies and perception of Brazilian farmers. Agriculture, 10(12), 653. DOI:10.3390/agriculture10120653
• Chavula, H. K. (2014). The role of ICTs in agricultural production in Africa. Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics, 6(7), 279–289. https://academicjournals.org/article/article1403537040_Chavula.pdf/1000
• Chryssochoidis, G., Karagiannaki, A., Pramatari, K., & Kehagia, O. (2009). A cost-benefit evaluation framework of an electronic-based traceability system. British Food Journal, 111(6), 565–582.
• Deloitte & TÜBİSAD, (2022). Bilgi ve iletişim teknolojileri sektörü 2021 Pazar verileri. https://www.tubisad.org.tr/tr/images/pdf/tubisad-bit-2021-tr-20220526.pdf
• Dünya gazetesi, (2017). Aydın’ın Akıllı Köy’ü tüm köylere model oluşturacak. https://www.dunya.com/sektorler/teknoloji/aydinin-akilli-koyu-tum-koylere-model-olusturacak-haberi-367209 Easy4Digit, (2025). https://easy4digit.com/
• Flores, C. (2003). Measuring the relationship between ICT use and income inequality in Chile. University of Texas Inequality Project, Working Paper, 26.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), & The International Telecommunication Union (ITU). (2020). Status of Digital Agriculture in 18 Countries of Europe and Central Asia. FAO: Geneva, Switzerland, pp. 1–5.
• Global Smart Farming Market—Industry Trends and Forecast to 2031, (2024). https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-smart-farming-market
• Gül, D., & Demiryürek, K. (2020). Kırsal ve kentsel alanda bilgi ve iletişim teknolojilerinin kullanım durumu: Ankara örneği. Anadolu Tarım Bilimleri Dergisi, 35(3), 339-352. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/omuanajas/issue/57139/739004
• Hacıyusufoğlu, A. F., & Güler, E. (2016). Tarımda Mobil Uygulamalar. 18. Akademik Bilişim Kongresi, Aydın, Türkiye. https://ab.org.tr/ab16/bildiri/77.pdf
• Heyl, K., Ekardt, F., Sund, L., & Roos, P. (2022). Potentials and limitations of subsidies in sustainability governance: The example of agriculture. Sustainability, 14(23), 15859.
• Höllinger, F. & Sener, B.S. 2025. Digital technologies for agriculture in Türkiye – A review. Country Investment Highlights, No. 25. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd3185en
• International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025. https://www.ilo.org/industries-and-sectors/agriculture-plantations-other-rural-sectors
• ITU, (2025). World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database. https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/publications/wtid.aspx
• Karabak, S., & Taşcı, R. (2015). Sivas ve Yozgat illerinde buğday üretiminde teknoloji kullanım düzeyi. GAP VII. Tarım Kongresi, Şanlıurfa, Türkiye, 28 Nisan-1 Mayıs 2015, 28, 193-199.
• Kılavuz, E., & Erdem, İ. (2019). Dünyada tarım 4.0 uygulamaları ve Türk tarımının dönüşümü. Social Sciences, 14(4), 133-157.
• Kılıç, H. E. (2024). Buğday üreten çiftçilerin bilgi iletişim teknolojileri kullanımının belirlenmesi: Sarıkaya ilçesi örneği. (Yüksek Lisans Tezi), Yozgat Bozok Üniversitesi Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü, Tarım Bilimleri Anabilim Dalı, Yozgat, Türkiye.
• Kiani, F., & Seyyedabbasi, A. (2018). Wireless sensor network and internet of things in precision agriculture. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 9(6). https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2018.090614
• Kim, J., Kim, S., Ju, C., & Son, H. I. (2019). Unmanned aerial vehicles in agriculture: A review of perspective of platform, control, and applications. IEEE Access, 7, 105100–105115. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2932119
• Kredi Kayı Bürosu (KKB), (2024). Türkiye Tarımsal Görünüm Saha Araştırması 2023. https://www.kkb.com.tr/Resources/ContentFile/Tarimsal-gorunum-saha-arastirma-raporu2023.pdf
• Kredi Kayı Bürosu (KKB), (2025). Türkiye Tarımsal Görünüm Saha Araştırması 2024. https://www.kkb.com.tr/Resources/ContentFile/Tarimsal-gorunum-saha-arastirma-raporu2024.pdf
• Kountios, G., Konstantinidis, C., & Antoniadis, I. (2023). Can the adoption of ICT and advisory services be considered as a tool of competitive advantage in agricultural holdings? A literature review. Agronomy, 13(2), 530. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020530
• Maertens, A., & Barrett, C. B. (2013). Measuring social networks' effects on agricultural technology adoption. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 95(2), 353-359. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1093/ajae/aas049
• Mallinger, K., & Baeza-Yates, R. (2024). Responsible AI in Farming: A Multi-Criteria Framework for Sustainable Technology Design. Appl. Sci. 14(1), 437. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14010437
• Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, (2025). https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/
• MoAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) & COMCEC (Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation), (2021). Acceleration of digital transformation in agriculture sector for ensuring sustainable food security. Ankara. https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/ABDGM/Belgeler/Uluslararas%C4%B1%20Kurulu%C5%9Flar/ACCELERATION%20OF%20TRANSFORMATION%20OF%20DIGITALIZATION%20IN%20AGRICULTURE%20SECTOR.pdf
• Nehrey, M., Koval, T., Rogoza, N., & Galaieva, L. (2023). Application possibilities of data science tools in agriculture: A review. In International Conference of Artificial Intelligence, Medical Engineering, Education, Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, pp. 253–263.
• Padhiary, M. (2025). The convergence of deep learning, IoT, sensors, and farm machinery in agriculture. In Designing sustainable internet of things solutions for smart industries (pp. 109-142). IGI Global.
• Prashar, D., Jha, N., Jha, S., Lee, Y., & Joshi, G.P. (2020). Blockchain-based traceability and visibility for agricultural products: A decentralized way of ensuring food safety in india. Sustainability, 12(8), 3497.
• Richmond, K., & Triplett, R. E. (2018). ICT and income inequality: a cross-national perspective. International Review of Applied Economics, 32(2), 195-214.
• Sachitra, K. M. V., & Chong, S. C. (2016). Firm level competitive advantage in the agricultural sector: a research agenda. BJEMT, 12(3), 1–12.
• Saiz-Rubio, V., & Rovira-Más, F. (2020). From smart farming towards agriculture 5.0: A Review on crop data management. Agronomy, 10(2), 207. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10020207
• Sındır, K.O., Evcim, H. Ü., Tekin, A. B., Gülsoylu, E., Değirmencioğlu, A., Kömekçi, F., Yalçın, H., Aygün, İ., Urkan, E., Alayunt, F. N., Yazgı, A., Doğu, D., Saygılı, Y. S., Demir, V., Yürdem, H., Güler, H., Akdeniz, R. C., Bilgen, H., Günhan, T., Çakmak, B. (2025). Tarımsal mekanizasyon ve teknolojileri planlamasında gelişmeler. TMMOB Ziraat Mühendisleri Odası Türkiye Ziraat Mühendisliği X. Teknik Kongresi Bildiriler Kitabı-2, Ankara, Türkiye, 13-17 Ocak 2025; 498-532.
• Spasi´c, T., & Georgijevski, M. (2013). Application of modern information technologies in agricultural development. In Proceedings of the 18th International Scientific Conference “Regional Development and Demographic Flows of Southeast European Countries”, Niš, Serbia, 6–8 June 2013; pp. 759–771.
• Srinivasan, J., & Burrell, J. (2013). Revisiting the fishers of Kerala, India. In Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development: Full Papers—Volume 1 (ICTD’13), Cape Town, South Africa, 7–10 December 2013; Association for Computing Machinery: New York, NY, USA, pp. 56–66.
• Star, (2015). Turkcell Akıllı Tarım çözümleri ile çiftçinin yanında. https://www.star.com.tr/teknoloji/turkcell-akilli-tarim-cozumleri-ile-ciftcinin-yaninda-haber-1022452
• TAGEM, 2023. Tarım Makineleri ve Teknolojileri Sektör Politika Belgesi 2023-2027, Tarım ve Orman Bakanlığı–TAGEM. https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/TAGEM/Belgeler/yayin/Tarim_Makineleri%20ve%20Teknolojileri%20Sekt%C3%B6r%20Politika%20Belgesi%202023-2027.pdf
• Tarmakbir, (2024). Tarım ve makine sanayi etkileşimi raporu, December 2024. https://www.makinebirlik.com/images/d/library/bd7cbf9b-ccac-4250-8c86-c17401c8c488.pdf
• Tekin, A.B., & Sındır, K.O. (2002). Prospects and challenges for precision farming in Turkey. Proceeding of the Union of Scientist Rousse. Energy and Efficiency and Agricultural Engineering (EE & AE 2002), April 4-6, Rousse, Bulgaria.
• Tekin, A. B. (2011). Information and communication technology: an assessment of Turkish agriculture. Outlook on Agriculture, Vol 40, No 2, pp 147–156 doi: 10.5367/oa.2011.0043
• Tekin, A. B. (2019). Analysing the National Data for Agricultural Technology Penetration in Turkey. Fresenius Environ. Bull, 28, 2716.
• Trendov N. M., Varas S., & Zeng M. (2019). Digital technologies in agriculture and rural areas status report. FAO, Rome.
• TURKSTAT Agricultural Holding Structure Survey, (2016). https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Tarimsal--Isletme-Yapi-Arastirmasi-2016-24869#
• TURKSTAT Labour Force Statistics, (2024a). https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Isgucu-Istatistikleri-2024-54059#:~:text=%C4%B0stihdam%20edilenlerin%20say%C4%B1s%C4%B1%202024%20y%C4%B1l%C4%B1nda,artarak%20%49%2C5%20oldu.
• TURKSTAT Plant and Animal Production Values, (2024b). https://data.tuik.gov.tr/
• TURKSTAT Survey on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Usage in Households and by Individuals, 2024. (2024c). https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Survey-on-Information-and-Communication-Technology-(ICT)-Usage-in-Households-and-by-Individuals-2024-53492&dil=2
• TURKSTAT Regional Statistics, (2025). https://biruni.tuik.gov.tr/bolgeselistatistik/tabloOlustur.do
• Turk Telekom, (2025). Tarım Çözümleri. https://kurumsal.turktelekom.com.tr/iot/sektorel-cozumler/tarim-cozumleri
• Türkiye Ziraat Odaları Birliği (TZOB), (2023). https://www.tzob.org.tr/
• Özgüven, M. M., Türker, U., Çetin, N., & Çolak, A. (2025). Tarımda dijital çağın getirdiği yenilikler iklim akıllı tarım ve sürdürülebilir uygulamalar. TMMOB Ziraat Mühendisleri Odası Türkiye Ziraat Mühendisliği X. Teknik Kongresi Bildiriler Kitabı-1, Ankara, Türkiye, 13-17 Ocak 2025; 246-263.
• Vaezi, M., Azari, A., Khosravirad, S.R., Shirvanimoghaddam, M., Azari, M.M., Chasaki, D., & Popovski, P. (2022). Cellular, wide-area, and non-terrestrial IoT: A survey on 5G advances and the road toward 6G. IEEE Commun. Surv. Tutorials, 24(2), 1117–1174.
• WB, (2019). Future of Food Harnessing Digital Technologies to Improve Food System Outcomes. World Bank Washington, DC. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/fc90a957-badf-5071-8855-3ab596b884c7/content
• World development indicators, (2016). (English). World Development Indicators Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/805371467990952829