Various institutions and organizations offer and administer support programs to assist women farmers. Women who wish to enter farming can start activities by benefiting from grants, incentive programs, and interest-free loan options provided. Application procedures, eligibility criteria, and application methods vary according to the type of support. If one support option does not suit you, investigate other available programs. You can review the relevant women farmer support projects and decide which one to apply for.
KOSGEB Women Farmer Loan
KOSGEB provides support loans to women farmers. Women who want to start a new business or engage in agricultural activities can benefit from this loan. In fact, applications from women to KOSGEB-supported programs tend to be approved at higher rates than those from men. Although KOSGEB does not provide funding for live animal purchases, it offers up to 70% support for women farmers for packaging their products, preparing them for sale, purchasing machinery and equipment, and acquiring necessary tools.
Youth Farmer Project
Under the Youth Farmer Project, grant support is provided up to a limit of 30,000 TRY. Women engaged in greenhouse cultivation, mushroom production, small and large ruminant breeding, silkworm farming, beekeeping, and seedling production can benefit from this grant. Women who plan to enter these fields or who are already active in them can apply to the Youth Farmer Project and receive this assistance.
The eligibility requirements for the Youth Farmer Project, one of the women farmer support projects, are:
- The woman farmer must be literate,
- Must have been active in the sector for at least one year,
- Must be able to attend the training course provided under the project,
- Must have an Agricultural Registration System (ÇKS) record,
- Must be a member of an Agricultural Cooperative or chamber,
- Must be over 18 years old,
- Must be under 41 years old,
- Must be able to provide a 25% capital contribution for the investment,
- Must live in the rural area within the province where the application is made and carry out agricultural activities in that rural area.
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Support
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry provides grant support to women farmers under various regional development projects (GAP, KOP, DOKAP). You can apply through the Ministry to receive this support. Under these programs, a 50% grant is provided to women farmers for barn construction. For the purchase of breeding bulls, bucks, and rams, the grant support rate for women farmers is 80%.
Agricultural Demonstration Project
This project run by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry offers training and economic empowerment support to women living in rural areas to help them become stronger participants in agricultural activities. The project has been implemented since 2000 and continues to be supported by the Ministry of Development.
The activities carried out within this project include the following:
- Programs to increase the influence of women entrepreneurs in agriculture,
- Programs to introduce women farmers to innovations and technological developments,
- Projects for women farmers to produce vermicompost,
- “Women’s Touch in Fisheries” project,
- Sericulture (silkworm farming) projects.
The provinces where the Agricultural Demonstration Project, one of the women farmer support projects, is implemented include:
- Amasya,
- Aydın,
- Batman,
- Bursa,
- Çorum,
- Erzincan,