As the economic crisis deepens, the increasing agricultural input costs put the tobacco growers into trouble in Turkey.

Mehmet Ali Erbaş, a tobacco grower in the Doğanşehir district of Malatya in Turkey, states that he can not gain enough income due to the increasing costs of fuel, agricultural pesticides, and electricity inputs.

Stating that this is the first time he plants tobacco, he has mentioned growing tobacco’s difficulties. He has pointed out that it is a laborious process to growing tobacco and has expressed that they have problems selling their crops on the market.

Erbaş has said that the government’s removal of electricity subsidies puts them into trouble and demanded authorities to solve high costs.

A legal amendment regarding the water and farmers’ electricity debts entered into force on 6 September 2018. The amendment has removed some of the subsidies that affect farmers negatively.