Tobacco Farming in Denizli from Past to Present
Historical process: Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives, Ministry of Finance Temettuat Registers, "Dividend census of 1260 Hijri (1844 Gregorian)Tavas UzunpınarAn 18-decare duhan (tobacco) field is identified in (Pınarlar) Village. It is estimated that tobacco cultivation, which is rare in Denizli, increased in the second half of the 19th century.
When the Ottoman Empire could not pay its debts from European countries, "Duyun-u Umumiye Administration" was established in 1881 and Reji Company was established in 1883 in order to pay the debts to the creditors, especially England and France. For the collection of debts, concession rights were given to purchase, manufacture and sell tobacco, which was reserved for domestic consumption for 30 years from 1884 to 1914, and to manufacture and sell cigarettes. Reji Company, which was organized in Aydın Province in 1888, completes its organization in Garb-i Karaağaç (Acıpayam) and Erle (Yeşilova) townships in Denizli Sanjak. As of this date, a "director officer" starts to work as tobacco production is high in Acıpayam and its surroundings. Regime administration practices have a negative effect on the people, especially in the sanjak and districts of Aydın province. The people have to sell their tobacco to the reji administration at no price. If he did not deliver this tobacco to the reji warehouses by August, the Reji Administration would count this tobacco as illegal tobacco and confiscate it without paying any money. Reji Company received support from the central government, many injustices were done to tobacco producers through the company's rangers, and a lot of pain was left over tobacco.
As a result of the exchange protocol accepted during the Lausanne Negotiations, immigrants started to come to Denizli as of 1924. In those years, 10 districts were determined for settlement throughout Turkey, and it was decided to settle 4 thousand tobacco farmers, 20 thousand vineyard and farmers and 40 thousand olive producers from Drama, Kavala and Thessaloniki in the 4th district, which consists of İzmir, Aydın, Muğla and Denizli.
The refugees who were subject to forced migration from Kavala, Grebene, Siroz and Radovişte were settled in the center of Denizli (1,522 out of 2,240 refugees). Although there are districts suitable for tobacco farming, field and garden agriculture with different climatic characteristics, tobacco exchanges are less settled in Denizli compared to other provinces. It is reported by the Governor of the period, Cemal Bey, that the resettlement of the refugees who came to Denizli was made, the fields were plowed and distributed with the possibilities of the province, thousands of decares of corn and tobacco were planted, and after the 1924 harvest, "40-50 thousand okkas of tobacco was obtained".
The immigrants settled in Denizli Central Istiklal Neighborhood produced tobacco on the lands in Kınıklı, Zeytinköy, Kayhan, Bağbaşı and partially Gökpınar. The exchanges had no effect on the spread of tobacco production to Denizli's districts.
As a result of the nationalization of the Reji Company in 1925, various laws were enacted for the management of the tobacco industry. Denizli is among the provinces where tobacco production is partially prohibited in the Law No. 1701 dated 1930 and the Tobacco and Tobacco Monopoly Law No. 3437 dated 1938. The law states that “tobacco production is prohibited in other places except Denizli, Çal and Tavas Districts and Güney Sub-district of Buldan District ”. In the 1940s, production continued on an average area of 10 thousand decares at four points. It is known that tobacco production was free in 8 centers, namely Denizli Center, Acıpayam, Buldan, Çal, Çardak, Güney, Kale and Tavas Districts, with the law numbered 1177 in 1969, and it reached up to 200 thousand decares of land in the 1970s.
To work in tobacco in the 50s, 60s and 70sTo Bergama, Ödemiş, Tire, Menderes, Manisa, Akhisar Families in the rural villages of Denizli started to show the knowledge and skills they learned in those regions by producing them on their own lands. With the number of tobacco producers in Denizli reaching up to 65 thousand in the 90s, it became a source of income for many families for many years. In 1997, a record production area of 400 thousand decares was reached and 34 thousand tons of tobacco were produced. Over time, these production figures entered a decreasing process, never to be seen again.
Current status: Denizli has suitable soil and climate characteristics for tobacco production. Tobacco is produced in 12 districts: Acıpayam, Bekilli, Beyağaç, Buldan, Çameli, Çivril, Güney, Kale, Tavas, Bozkurt, Pamukkale and Serinhisar. The least production is in Bozkurt, Pamukkale and Serinhisar Districts. Approximately 80% of Denizli's tobacco production is made in Tavas, Kale, Acıpayam and Beyağaç Districts.
In previous years, as aromatic and medicinal plants such as thyme and sage entered tobacco production areas as an alternative to tobacco production, there is a decrease in the number of tobacco producers and production areas every year. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) 2020 plant production data, Denizli is in the 3rd position in tobacco production. Of the 76,540 tons of tobacco produced in Turkey in 2020, 13,615 tons were produced in Denizli by 8,745 producers on an area of 160,181 decares. The first two provinces with the highest tobacco production were Manisa and Adıyaman.
Contract Agriculture : Tobacco production in Turkey has been carried out on the basis of a written contract since 2002 in accordance with the Tobacco Law No. 4733. In 2020, 10 tobacco companies with "Tobacco Trade Authorization Certificate" from the Tobacco and Alcohol Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (TADB) signed contracts in Denizli. Tobacco companies make advance payments to their producers during the production period and monitor their production. Tobacco contracts are printed by TADB and distributed to tobacco companies. The price and special conditions part of the contracts are determined by the companies.
Production: Tobacco production in Denizli starts in February and March with the preparation of the nursery areas, and reaches the planting size approximately 45-60 days after the tobacco seeds are planted in the nursery, and tobacco planting takes place in April-May. Planting should be done as early as possible and without losing the field temper in order for tobacco to show a normal development and to obtain quality products with dried summer. For this reason, the most preferred tip and bottom hands should be able to be crushed and dried without getting the tobaccos to fall.
The fight against Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Disease (TSWV), which has been threatening tobacco production areas for a long time, starts in the nursery period and continues during the field period. After the warm winter season, in the years when the thrips population is high, the struggle is carried out without waiting for the economic damage threshold.
Economy: Leaf tobaccos of İzmir origin produced in Denizli are in the oriental type (oriental) tobacco class. These tobaccos are in the tobacco group with aromatic and high quality characteristics. Some (12-13%) of the tobacco produced in the Aegean Region is used in the cigarette industry in our country. The rest is exported.
In 2019, a revenue of 253 million USD was obtained in return for 46.5 thousand tons of exports. Aegean region tobacco has a share of 80% in overall tobacco export. Tobacco ranks 6th according to the gross production values of Denizli. It provided 334 million TL income to the provincial economy in 2020.
Tütünde, nevi fiyatları tek taraflı olarak alıcı tarafından belirlenmektedir. Tütüncünün örgütsüz olması, ekonomik bakımdan güçlü olan tütün şirketleri karşısında elini zayıf bırakmaktadır.
Bölgede tütün üretiminin devamlılığı, şirketlerin verdiği yüklü avanslara bağlıdır. Alınan avanslar üretim sermayesi olarak kullanıldığından, üreticinin elini rahatlatmaktadır. Avansın azalması veya kesilmesi tütün üretimini sekteye uğratabilecektir.
Ürün birim fiyatlarının enflasyon artışının altında kalması, üretici gelirini düşürmektedir. Tütün üretim sözleşmelerine, avans dışında tahakkuk edecek miktara enflasyon farkı uygulama maddelerinin eklenmesi, üretim yılı içinde tütün alım çalışmalarının tamamlanması üretici için iyi olacaktır. Ayrıca ihracata konu bu tütünler, havza bazlı destekleme modeli içine alınmalıdır.
Sonsöz: TEKEL'in özelleştirilmesi ve sözleşmeli tütün tarımına geçişle beraber tütün üreticilerinin gelirlerinde ciddi düşüşler yaşanmış ve tütün tarımı, başka geçim kaynağı olmayan yoksul ailelere özgü bir üretim haline gelmiştir. Bu ailelerin tütün üretiminden gelir elde edebilmelerinin tek koşulu, kendi emeklerini sonuna kadar kullanarak üretimin bütün aşamalarını ücretsiz aile emeği ile karşılamalarıdır. Bu durum ise çocukların daha erken yaşlarda ve daha fazla iş için tütün üretimine çekilmesi anlamına gelmektedir. Aile emeğini kullanmak yönünde artan baskı, aileleri çocukların emeklerini kullanmaya itmekledir. Bir yandan da çocuklar üzerinde hem eğitime devam etme hem de tütün üretimine katılım, baskı oluşturmaktadır. Tütün üretiminde çocukları için gelecek olmayacağını öngören aileler, bir yandan çocuklarını okula göndermek konusunda ısrarcı davranırken öte yandan çocuklarını tütün tarlasına daha çok sokmaktadırlar.
Denizli'de tütün üreticilerinin yaş ortalaması her geçen yıl yükselmektedir. Gençler tütün üretimine ilgi duymamaktadır. Tavas ve Kale İlçelerinde, Kalkınma Atölyesi bir araştırma yaptı ve rapor olarak yayınlandı*. Tütün üretiminin geleceği konusunda bu rapordan bir paragraf paylaşacağım.
“Tavas Ovası’nda göçün büyük çoğunluğu 20- 24 yaş aralığındaki kişiler arasında gerçekleşmiş olup bunun başlıca nedeni eğitim almaktır. Görüştüğümüz ve anket yaptığımız gençlerin çoğunluğu tütün tarımını ve daha genel olarak tarımı gelecek vaat etmeyen bir iş olarak görmekte, kentsel alanlara göç etmeyi tercih etmekte ve üniversiteyi daha parlak bir gelecek için bir şans olarak görmektedir. Üniversiteye gidemeyenler, özellikle de kadınlar için, kent merkezinden biriyle evlenmek, kırsal yaşamdan kaçmanın ve tütün yetiştirmenin fiziksel olarak yorucu işlerini geride bırakmanın bir yolu olarak da öne çıkabildiği gözlenmiştir.”
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