How can young people working in agriculture obtain a certificate? Under the Young Farmers Support Project, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock organizes young farmer training courses. Participants who successfully complete these courses are awarded a Young Farmer Certificate.
Who Provides the Courses That Issue the Young Farmer Certificate and Where?
To deliver training to young farmers, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock has established an Instructor Pool for Farmer Training Courses coordinated by ministry personnel.
- At the Ministry’s affiliated Training Center Directorates,
- At the Union of Turkish Agricultural Chambers,
- Through the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR),
- At Public Education Centers—these institutions run the Young Farmer Project 2018 certificate trainings.
What Training Is Offered in the Courses?
To participate and receive a certificate, applicants must apply to provincial or district directorates of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock or to other institutions that provide the training. Course topics include:
- Pest Control in Crops,
- Beekeeping,
- Pistachio Cultivation,
- Apple Cultivation,
- Organic Farming,
- Maintenance and Repair of Planting, Seeding and Fertilizing Machinery,
- Dairy Cattle Farming, and similar subjects.
What Are the Purposes of Issuing Young Farmer Certificates?
- Increasing Youth Participation in Agricultural Production: The training aims to encourage young people living in rural areas to engage in farming and livestock activities and thus contribute to the country’s agricultural production.
- Renewing the Agricultural Population: By training young farmers in new technologies, the project seeks to accelerate adoption of technological innovations and to rejuvenate the agricultural workforce.
- Improving National Production Efficiency: Encouraging a dynamic and adaptable young population to actively engage in farming and livestock production aims to maximize the country’s productivity.
- Preventing Rural-to-Urban Migration: Through education, certification and grant programs that support economic and social development, the project aims to reduce the tendency of rural youth to abandon production and move to cities.
- Professionalizing Young Farmers: The training under the Young Farmers Support Project is designed to develop young farmers who follow and apply innovations, meet modern production requirements, and serve as role models in their communities, thus promoting a more professional agricultural workforce.
30,000 TL Grant Offered Through the Young Farmer Project
To promote sustainable production and support agriculture and livestock, the Young Farmers Support Project provides a 30,000 TL grant to 16,750 young farmers. Eligible young farmer projects include:
- Fruit Orchard Projects
- Seedling and Sapling Production
- Controlled Greenhouse Cultivation
- Perennial Forage Crop Production
- Mushroom Cultivation and Facility Construction
- Large-Scale Cattle Projects (applicants must own fewer than 15 head)
- Small Ruminant Breeding (applicants must own fewer than 50 head)
- Beekeeping and Honey Production (applicants must own fewer than 50 hives)
- Production of Bee Products (royal jelly, queen bees, pollen, etc.) (applicants must own more than 50 hives and be a member of the Turkish Beekeepers’ Association)
- Silkworm Rearing and Facility Construction
- Free-Range Layer Hen Farming and Facility Construction
Available projects may vary by province and not every project is offered in every province.
Application Dates and Requirements
Young Farmer application dates for preliminary applications were available on the ministry’s official site between 02.04.2018 and 30.04.2018. After the preliminary application stage, final applications were submitted to the district agricultural directorates where the applicant is registered.
Application requirements include the following:
- Being a citizen of the Republic of Turkey,
- Being at least 18 years old and not yet 41 as of the announcement date,
- Being literate,
- Not being employed for wages anywhere,
- Not being enrolled in formal education as of the application date,
- For men, having completed or deferred military service,
- Not having ongoing criminal penalties or supervised release,
- Not being a real or simplified VAT taxpayer as of the application date,
- Not having benefited from other ministry grant programs for the same project type.