Structure of Turkish agriculture, agricultural policies and comparison of efficiency in the European Union adjustment process

The aim of this study is to compare agrarian activities of the membersand candidates of European Union and to investigate whether it causedsubstantial change in agricultural activities among the members of EuropeanUnion throughout the historical perspective by introducing Turkey?s andEuropean Union?s agricultural structures and the present applications ofpolicies, considering as one of the most important areas in the integrationphase of Turkey with European Union.In the first part of the study, after a brief historical summary ofEuropean Union?s and Turkey?s agriculture, European Union?s and Turkey?sagriculture are investigated according to production factors. In the secondpart, the importance of agricultural activities in the European and Turkey?seconomies is highlighted. In the third part, agricultural politics within theEuropean Union and Turkey, CAP and Turkey?s adaptation. In the fourth andlast part, EU members and candidates are compared according to theiragricultural efficiency by using Malmquist Index Analyze Method.For the Efficiency Analysis, the agricultural datas, which are preparedby the FAO, belong to 28 member and candidate countries of EU from 1961till 2002. Five input variables and one output variable are used. The FAO?sagricultural production index is used as an output variable. Inputs are arableland, agricultural manpower, runny area, used fertilizer and number oftractors.This study shows us that Turkey which has the 6% of EU farmland andwhich has the biggest agricultural potential within the EU countries andcandidates, did not keep in step with the efficiency and effectiveness for the41 years period. When compared with hhe EU countries, Turkey has richnatural resources considering arable land, irrigation and grain seeding. Onthe otherhand, Turkey is far back of EU countries at the agriculturalmechanization, professional manpower, agricultural enterprises at theoptimal scale, producing for markets, transportation possibilities which helpscost advantage and protection of domestic producers.