Protection Adds Value to Turkish Agriculture

Protection Adding Value to Turkish Agriculture Koruma Şirketler Grubu, which manufactures to world standards in the chemical sector, also holds a leading position with its agriculture-oriented products. The agricultural group operating in the plant protection products field provides solutions to farmers' field problems with a portfolio of nearly 300 products. Following extensive R&D work, Koruma succeeded in domestically producing three strategically important active substances used in plant products. The company's domestically-produced Acetamiprid, Copper oxychloride and Benfluralin active substances—produced in Turkey for the first time—are manufactured at Koruma's facility in Kocaeli Derince. Koruma Agriculture organised a meeting in Adana to provide information about these important developments and the active substances it produces domestically. Koruma, ranking among the country's largest plant protection producers, organised a meeting in Adana to provide information about 100 percent domestically-produced active substances resulting from R&D work and plant protection products also used in cotton cultivation in the Çukurova Region. The meeting drew significant interest. The meeting took place at Sheraton Grand Adana Hotel with strong participation from Adana provincial and district Agriculture and Forestry Department officials, Adana farmers, farmer associations, civil society organisation representatives, as well as distributors and wholesalers. The meeting opened with remarks from Şenel Çelik, Koruma Adana Regional Sales Manager, followed by a presentation describing the activities of the entirely Turkish-capital-owned Koruma Şirketler Grubu in the chemical sector. Subsequently, discussions covered the firsts Koruma Şirketler Grubu has brought to Turkish agriculture, pioneering work in this field, and innovative products in its extensive product range. Koruma Agriculture, with a portfolio of nearly 300 plant protection products across all formulation types, manufactures to world standards in the country's largest-capacity facilities.

Koruma provided 100 percent domestically-produced plant protection active substances to Turkish farmers

Gökhan Baştuğ, Technical Director of Koruma Şirketler Grubu and Agricultural Engineer, provided important information at the Adana meeting bringing together agricultural stakeholders about Acetamiprid, Copper oxychloride and Benfluralin active substances delivered to Turkish agriculture as a result of R&D work. Emphasising that as Koruma Agriculture they possess production capacity to meet the country's needs for these active substances, Baştuğ stated: "We are proud to be producing these important active substances domestically, which stand out in protecting especially cotton and other plant products grown in the Çukurova Region against harmful organisms. We have joined the small number of producers worldwide capable of producing Acetamiprid active substance at 99 percent purity, being the first domestic producer in Turkey and manufacturing to European Union standards. There are currently 68 plant protection products containing this active substance in Turkey. Acetamiprid active substance is used as an insecticide in industrial plants, vegetables and fruits grown throughout the country. Copper oxychloride, another active substance we produce domestically, has applications in numerous plant products. There are currently 108 plant protection products containing Copper oxychloride active substance in Turkey. We can now respond to all of the country's imported Copper oxychloride active substance needs with domestic production."

Will protect Çukurova's cotton

Gökhan Baştuğ noted that Benfluralin active substance, which they began working on in response to challenges faced by Turkish farmers in cotton and sunflower areas, was realised as a General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM) R&D project, and after completion of the R&D project, investments were completed and production began. Following the ban of Trifluralin active substance in Turkey in 2013, after the European Union, cotton and sunflower farmers experienced major problems. Koruma Agriculture stated they aimed to provide a solution to this problem by producing Benfluralin active substance domestically using their R&D capacity.

R&D investments turning into high-value products

The path to reducing import dependency in the chemical sector and advancing the country further with high-value products runs through R&D. Dr. Mustafa Hulusi Uğur, R&D Engineer at Koruma Şirketler Grubu, which believes in the importance of domestic production in the chemical sector and makes serious R&D investments, spoke to participants about the R&D work they conduct for domestic production of active substances. Providing details of the projects undertaken, Uğur completed his presentation by providing information about agricultural pharmaceutical technical substance production facilities. The meeting then continued with a section in which Dr. Oya Gönen shared her experience regarding soil herbicides.