In Edirne, which is the leader in Türkiye's paddy production and meets approximately half of the country's needs, this year's effective rains made the producers happy. Paddy producers, who had a difficult season last year due to drought and water stress, breathed a sigh of relief as the occupancy rates in dams and rivers increased.
This year, Edirne expects a significant increase in both yield and yield in white gold rice. The season continues intensively for rice, which grows in water for approximately 130 days and requires a lot of effort. While producers check their fields every day and fight against weeds, diseases and pests, they aim to get the reward of the product, which is described as "white gold", during the harvest period.
Edirne Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry, İslam Köse, stated that the increase in water resources this year directly reflected positively on production and that the cultivation areas also expanded.
Stating that the water yield is higher this year compared to last year, Köse said, "Our plantings have increased slightly due to the high occupancy rates of both dams and rivers. Last year, we had a planting area of 450 thousand decares. This year, our planting areas reached 500 thousand decares. The high rainfall during the season and the recent rains have positively affected the product development. There is no disease problem in the checks carried out by our team members. Our production expectations are higher this year due to the absence of water stress. "Last year we produced 398 thousand tons, we think we will easily exceed 400 thousand tons this year," he said.
Stating that the water levels in the Tunca and Meriç rivers gave confidence to the producers, Köse said, "Our biggest advantage this year was that we did not experience water stress. Our paddy producers are happy because the water in both the Tunca and Meriç Rivers is sufficient. Although there was water stress last year, we did not experience any product loss. We achieved a yield of between 750 and 850 kilograms per decare. This year, we aim for the same yields or even slightly higher. Our producers will have a successful season with the varieties developed by our Ministry and agricultural research institutions." "We believe that it will pass," he said.
Mesut Çakır, a rice producer in the village of Avarız in the center of Edirne, said that the outlook in the fields this year is promising.
Stating that the rains in the winter months filled the dams, Çakır said, "This year, the paddy fields are very good. Our dams are filled with the rains that take effect in the winter. Water comes to us from the Tunca River through Bulgaria. This year, the water is much more than it should be. We have fought against the weeds, we have done our workmanship well. I wish it to be a fruitful year. I hope it will be a fruitful year for the paddy as it will be for wheat and sunflowers."
Explaining that the rice is currently in one of the most critical periods of development, Çakır said, "Our rice is currently in the gestation period. We have completed the weed spraying and applied the fertilizers. Now we will do the fungal spraying to prevent it from being affected by the hot weather. We have been struggling with thirst for the last 2 years and therefore our yields have decreased. This year, we do not have such a problem. Hopefully, the last two years will be compensated. It seems that there will be a yield of 750-850 kilograms per decare." - EDIRNE