Provincial Agricultural Performance in Türkiye: An Integrated Entropy–TOPSIS Approach
Abstract
This study evaluates the agricultural performance of Türkiye’s 81 provinces for the 2016–2023 period using the integrated Entropy–TOPSIS method. The aim is to measure how efficiently agricultural inputs are utilized across regions. The analysis is based on province-level data obtained from official national statistics. The Entropy method was used to determine objective criterion weights, while the TOPSIS method ranked provincial performance by measuring their relative proximity to the ideal solution. The primary theoretical contribution of this study is to provide an objective, efficiency-oriented baseline for assessing provincial agricultural performance by integrating Entropy-based weighting with the TOPSIS method under a sustainable productivity perspective. The results reveal that agricultural performance in Türkiye is highly heterogeneous. Provinces in the Black Sea Region, particularly Rize, Düzce, Zonguldak, and Bartın, consistently achieved the highest performance, reflecting efficient input use and specialization in high value-added perennial crops. In contrast, provinces with extensive agricultural lands, such as Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Diyarbakır, Konya, and Karaman, exhibited low performance, indicating inefficiencies in input and resource management. The findings demonstrate that agricultural success depends more on input efficiency and resource productivity than on production volume. Policy recommendations emphasize the transition from uniform, production-oriented support schemes to region-specific strategies focused on input efficiency, modern irrigation, precision agriculture, and sustainable resource management. Enhancing regional adaptability and promoting best-practice models are crucial for ensuring long-term agricultural sustainability in Türkiye. Methodologically, the study offers an efficiency-based performance benchmark using the Entropy–TOPSIS framework, while from a policy perspective it supports a shift toward region-specific strategies emphasizing input efficiency and sustainable resource use.
Keywords
Entropy-TOPSIS, Input Efficiency, Resource Productivity, Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM), Sustainable Agriculture
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