Economic impact of the Covid 19 pandemic process on grain-growing producers: example of the central district of Tokat province

This research aims to reveal the socio-demographic characteristics of farmers producing grain in the central district of Tokat province, to determine the effects of the Covid-19 epidemic period on agricultural production, and to conduct an economic analysis of grain production activity. Among the enterprises engaged in grain cultivation, 133 enterprises from 5 villages were determined by simple random sampling method, and a face-to-face survey was conducted with these enterprises in October-December 2022. As a result of the research, it was determined that the average age of grain producers is 49 and % 43.61 of the producers are primary school graduates. Additionally, when the land assets of the producers were examined, it was determined that they produced on an area of 16-35 decares at most. It has been determined that the enterprises producing grain in dry agricultural lands in the research region produce wheat in an average area of 16.70 decares, and corn in an average area of 4.06 decares in irrigated agricultural lands. Annual activity results of grain growing enterprises were examined. As a result of the examination, the gross production value was calculated as 99 107 TL, the gross product as 142 109 TL, the gross product as 45 846 TL, the pure product as 88 758 TL, and the agricultural income as 85 942 TL. According to the average of enterprises, the profitability factor is % 0.62, financial profitability is % 0.01 and Economic profitability was determined as % 0.02. In the research region, producers declared that there was no decrease in their total income at a rate of % 51.88 and a decrease in their total income at a rate of % 48.12 due to the Covid-19 epidemic. It was determined that they used some compensation methods against this decrease. It has been determined that some of the compensation methods taken against this decrease are taking out a loan, reducing expenses and borrowing from neighbors and relatives. As a result of the chi-square analysis, the relationship between the decrease in the average income of business owners due to the Covid-19 epidemic and the age distribution of the producers was found to be statistically positive and significant, while the relationship between the different practices after the Covid-19 epidemic and the land sizes of the producers was not found to be statistically significant.