First leasing of unused farmland to begin in November

ISTANBUL

Efforts to bring unused agricultural land into the economy, which began with identification work on Sept. 1, will continue until the end of October, with the first leases set to start in November.

The regulation on the Leasing of Unused Agricultural Land entered into force in August last year following its publication in the Official Gazette.

Under the amendment, land left uncultivated for two consecutive years for various reasons can be leased by the Ministry to bring it into economic use. The regulation allows such land to be leased for agricultural production, with rental payments made to the landowners.

The initiative aims to return idle farmland to production, ensure its effective use, register it in the Farmer Registration System, and contribute to strengthening Türkiye’s sustainable food supply security within the framework of agricultural production planning.

Priority in leasing will be given to residents of the locality where the land is situated, as well as cooperatives, unions, associations, foundations, volunteer organizations and professional chambers engaged in agricultural activities.

In the previous agricultural season (Sept. 1, 2023–Aug. 31, 2024), a total of 25,328 parcels covering approximately 300,000 decares were designated as “unused agricultural land.”

For the current production year (Sept. 1, 2024–Aug. 31, 2025), identification work began on Sept. 1 and will continue until the end of October. Once the amount of land left uncultivated for two consecutive production years is finalized, leasing will commence in November.