The Final Focus Group Meeting with Producer Unions Held in Ankara

The “Technical Assistance Project for Capacity Building for the Implementation of the Advisory Services Measure under the IPARD II Programme” aims to strengthen the capacity for implementing the “Advisory Services” measure within the IPARD II Programme, provide free project preparation services to low-income potential beneficiaries wishing to realize their projects, and increase the participation of farmers, food processors, and rural communities in the IPARD II Programme.

As part of the project, province-based focus group meetings were organized in Konya, Mersin, Bursa, Elazığ, and Samsun to contribute to the situation analysis and strategic roadmap to be developed under the project. The final focus group meeting, which brought together the findings from these sessions and included the participation of producer unions, was held in Ankara on 28 August 2019.

During the meeting, the main challenges faced by farmers in project preparation and implementation and their training needs were discussed, as well as the reasons behind the difficulties small-scale farmers face in accessing support mechanisms. In addition, the strengths and weaknesses of consultants were evaluated, and a workshop was organized to develop solutions to these issues. The event concluded with presentations prepared by the participants.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Director General of Agricultural Reform, Mr. Muhammed ADAK, representatives from the General Directorate of Agricultural Reform, and representatives of producer unions.