Guest of Thursday Seminar is Dr. Erdem BULUT
Euroasia Socio-Economic Research Association (ASEAD) hosted Dr. Erdem BULUT at the Thursday Seminar held online on March 25, 2021. Dr. BULUT shared his dissertation entitled “Production Effects of Agricultural Support Policies Implemented in Turkey” with the participants.
After completing his undergraduate and master’s degrees in the field of economics at Kirikkale University, Dr. BULUT completed the PhD program in the same field at Istanbul University after earning his first PhD in business at Kirikkale University. Dr. BULUT started his career at the Ministry of Finance, worked at the Ministry of Customs and Trade and then as a chief trade inspector at the Ministry of Trade. During the last year, Dr. BULUT has been working for the Directorate of State Information Coordination Center. Dr. BULUT also teaches part-time at the University of Turkish Aeronautical Association.
Dr. BULUT investigated the effect of the direct payment supports per hectare and deficiency payment supports used commonly as a support policy tool in Turkey on production. For this purpose, the production effect of the supports given between 2002-2018 on wheat, corn, sunflower, cotton wool, paddy, soybean, canola, safflower, tea, haricot beans and olives was studied. Two models were created for the study in which the dependent variable was determined as the production quantity. The independent variables of the first model were determined as deficiency payment supports and direct payment supports per hectare, product price, fuel price and fertilizer price. The variables of the minimum wage and agricultural mechanization were added to the second model in addition to the arguments of the first models. As a result of the Panel ARDL analysis used as an econometric method, it was concluded that both supports affect production but deficiency payment supports affects production more than direct payment supports per hectare; that the increases in the minimum wage affect negatively agricultural production; and that there is no meaningful relationship between agricultural mechanization and agricultural production
ASEAD Chairman Prof. Dr. Ibrahim ORNEK thanked Dr. Erdem BULUT for his presentation. After emphasizing the popularity of the positive effects of the agricultural products on the human health and ancestor seeds, Prof. Dr. ORNEK mentioned about the further increase in the popularity of agriculture, especially during the Covid-19 Pandemic, with food safety and food security starting to cover more headlines; that he believed that this dissertation could become a guide for policy makers. Prof. Dr. ORNEK also pointed out that for the purpose of academic studies Turkish Statistical Institute should improve and enlarge its agricultural data base.
Prof. Dr. Seyhan TAS, ASEAD Vice President, congratulated Dr. Erdem BULUT for taking on this topic from a different perspective. Considering GATT and World Trade Organization policies, Prof. Dr. TAS pointed out the necessity to apply different agricultural policies by the developed and developing countries, and the importance of completing necessary agricultural reforms by the developing countries.