Determination of producer awareness in the drying and storage of legumes and cereal products: the case of diyarbakir

This study, which aims to determine the awareness levels of grain and legume producers in Diyarbakır regarding drying and storage processes, presents significant findings based on survey data collected from 150 producers. The results indicate that 67.8% of the producers do not perform any drying process at all. Among those who do dry their products, 72.7% use natural drying (sunlight), 15.3% use artificial drying (machines), and 8.7% utilize both methods together. Regarding moisture control, the awareness level among producers appears to be low. 37.4% of the survey participants stated that they do not perform any moisture control, 34% do so rarely, and only 28.6% conduct regular moisture measurements. When examining storage methods, 87.3% of producers use bulk storage, 54.7% use bagging, and only 7.3% utilize silos. The rate of benefiting from government incentives was found to be only 22.6%, indicating a low level of support utilization. The most common issue encountered during storage was pest infestations (such as insects and rodents), reported by 71.3% of producers. Additionally, 76.9% of the producers stated that they had never received any training on storage practices. These findings clearly highlight the need for raising awareness among grain and legume producers in Diyarbakır regarding modern drying and storage techniques, making government support mechanisms more effective, and increasing training programs.