Evaluation of vegetable production centers in Van provi̇nce in terms of producer, business, production, and marketing profi̇les

In this study, it was aimed to reveal the vegetable growing potential in 6 districts of Van province (Gevaş, Edremit, Erciş, Tuşba, İpekyolu, and Muradiye). For this purpose, face-to-face survey interviews were conducted with 112 farmers in 6 districts using the Farmer Registration System data for 2024. In the survey, a total of 61 questions were asked to farmers on a district basis regarding producers, businesses, production and marketing. Findings regarding the producer profile revealed that most of the participants in all districts were male, aged 40-60 or over 60, their education level was primary school level or none at all, they had social security, and the income of most farmers from their production areas varied between 20.000-30.000 TL per month. The species that provide the most income to producers in Erciş district are tomatoes and cabbage, green beans in Gevaş district, tomatoes and peppers in Edremit district, tomatoes in Tuşba district, cabbage in Muradiye district, and tomatoes and lettuce in İpekyolu district. In the findings regarding the business profile, it was determined that the majority of the businesses in all districts had small-scale structures and the majority of the participants were engaged in cultivation on their own land. In the evaluations regarding the production profile, it was determined that most of the participants did not receive expert support during the cultivation phase and that they had been growing the species they cultivated for more than 7 years. While tomatoes (38.7%) and cabbage (38.7%) were grown by equal percentages of participants in Erciş district, green bean cultivation came to the fore with a large difference (91.7% participants) in Gevaş district. In addition, it was determined that all participants in Muradiye district (100%) were cultivating cabbage, while in other districts they were mainly cultivating tomatoes. It was determined that the majority of participants in all species used 50-60 cm planting intervals and used drip and sprinkler irrigation systems for irrigation. Marketing losses vary between 5-30% depending on the type, and the most important problems encountered in the marketing phase are the abundance of intermediaries, difficulties in finding markets and the lack of storage facilities for the products.