The reflection of the support policies applied in olive and olive oil to the producers in altinözü, hatay province

Altınözü district of Hatay province is a region whose livelihood is primarily olive and olive oil. This study aims to determine the perspectives of olive producers in the Altınözü district about the supports being applied and determine the problems they experience. In the study, the data obtained by surveying 55 farmers determined according to the Stratified Sampling Method from 2568 enterprises registered in the ÇKS system of the District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry and benefiting from olive oil support in 2018 were used. According to the research results, the average age of the participating operators is 50.4, and they have more than 20 years of experience in olive cultivation. The average number of family members of the operators is 5.5 people. 98% of the olive groves in the enterprises consist of oil varieties, the average olive grove area is 52.5 decares, and the number of parcels is 6.5. All of the enterprises produce in dry conditions, and the average yield per tree is 21 kg. Other neighbouring producers are among the primary sources of information about olive growing. All producers benefit from olive oil difference payment support, and 98% benefit from fertilizer-diesel supports. 35% of the producers stated that they were satisfied with the support, and 33% were unsatisfied. At the beginning of the problems expressed by the participants about olive, supports are the inability to register to the ÇKS for various reasons and the low amount of support. 53% of the producers stated that the current support system is incorrect and that they will continue to produce olives even if there is no support. 89% of the producers noted that the supports were paid on time, and they were generally satisfied with the policies applied for olive cultivation. The use of machinery in the olive harvest, harvesting using appropriate packaging and improving irrigation facilities in olives will contribute to yield and quality increases. It would be more beneficial to switch to the Field-Based Support System instead of the Difference Payment Support given in olive oil. Training and extension studies should be given to producers on modern olive growing techniques. Since supporting olive producers in various ways will positively affect olive and olive oil production, more support is needed to protect the producers from increasing production costs.