Tat Gıda recognised as a model in digital agriculture initiatives
Merve Cansın Kaplan, Sustainability, Strategy and Communications Manager at Tat Gıda:
“Digital agricultural technologies not only enhance crop productivity but also hold significant potential for impacting critical areas such as sustainability, resource management, and food security.”
Tat Gıda stood out for its digital agriculture projects focused on quality, efficiency, and sustainability during the launch event of the “Digital Technologies for Agriculture in Türkiye” report.
According to the company statement, the report, published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Investment Centre and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), was introduced at an event held in Ankara. The report provides a comprehensive overview of Türkiye’s digital agriculture technology ecosystem, market structure, implementation examples, and existing challenges.
At the event, which examined the multi-stakeholder nature of digital transformation in agriculture and food systems, perspectives from technology providers and end-users were shared. Promising AgTech solutions, their areas of application, adoption processes, and supporting ecosystems were discussed in detail. Roadmaps were also laid out for making Turkish agriculture more sustainable, efficient, and resilient.
Speaking at the panel discussing the report, Merve Cansın Kaplan detailed Tat Gıda’s digital agriculture journey, which began in 2016. She stated that with 57 years of experience, Tat Gıda approaches sustainability management at a high level and reinforces its commitments by participating in international platforms such as the UN Global Compact, the Ecovadis Sustainability Index, and the BIST Sustainability Index.
Kaplan explained, “Under the leadership of our Chairman and CEO Veysel Memiş, we have integrated our vision for sustainable agriculture with digitalisation projects. Through our efforts, we have improved agricultural productivity and achieved significant resource savings.”
She added that Tat Gıda’s projects in digital agriculture and sustainability not only improved farmers' productivity but also contributed to the green transformation in agriculture by preserving natural resources.
“In this context, through our Efficient Water Use in Tomatoes project carried out in 2024 in collaboration with DXAS & KAGOME, we achieved a 23% reduction in water usage. Since 2023, we have included 164 contract farmers in our Digital Transformation in Agriculture Programme, covering 18,300 decares of land. This year, we aim to reach at least 300 farmers. As part of the programme, in collaboration with DOKTAR, we installed digital agricultural sensor stations and smart insect traps in farmers’ fields. In 2023, the farmers who used these devices experienced an average 28% increase in productivity.”
Kaplan also emphasised the importance of soil analysis and fertilisation within the programme, stating that they conducted over 250 analyses using mobile devices and provided fertilisation recommendations based on the results. This work is ongoing.
“Using satellite imagery technology, we achieved a 16% yield increase in 2024”
Kaplan explained that satellite technology was also made available to farmers, enabling them to digitally monitor the health of their fields and crops.
“In 2023, we used satellite imagery over a total of 12,000 decares. This year, we aim to expand this to 15,000 decares. As a result of our work, we observed a 13% yield increase in 2023 and a 16% yield increase in 2024, compared to baseline values for plains productivity.”
She highlighted ongoing work to detect and respond to crop diseases early:
“We use AI-supported solutions and Metos Climate Stations across all our facilities for early detection. These systems have enabled us to reduce chemical usage by 22% compared to previous years. We place great importance on practices that protect soil, water, and the wider environment.”
Kaplan also noted that the EBRD provides financial support to Tat Gıda’s Digital Transformation in Agriculture Programme, and that the company organises training seminars for farmers covering production, digital technologies, and sustainable farming. Awareness-raising activities are also conducted.
She underlined that the education programme will continue until 2026:
“We aim to reach 1,200 farmers with our training on production, digital agricultural technologies, and sustainable farming. We also conducted training sessions incorporating innovative digital agricultural technologies at Ege and Uludağ Universities, reaching 220 students. Considering that only 14% of young farmers are aged between 18 and 39, these educational initiatives are crucial for the future of agriculture.”
Kaplan concluded by highlighting Tat Gıda’s sustainability goals for 2030:
“We aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fertilisers by 30%, cut the use of toxic agrochemicals by 20%, lower the water footprint of our farming operations by 15%, and reduce the water footprint among contract farmers by 18%.”
Looking ahead to 2027, Kaplan added that the company plans to introduce green agricultural practices across 300 hectares of contract farming land:
“Digital agricultural technologies do not merely improve productivity; they also have the potential to make a profound impact on key areas such as sustainability, resource management, and food security.”
Source: Anadolu Ajansı
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