Evaluation of Information and Communication Technology Utilisation in Turkish Agriculture
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
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