The Effects of the Global and Regional Policies to Sugar Factories in Turkey an Example; Ağrı SugarFactory

Sugar has an important role in ensuring the food security and is important for the agriculture economy of many countries. Turkey s agricultural policies were directly affected from the market economy adopted especially after 1980’s and hence agricultural products have undergone fundamental changes to be able to integrate with the world within the framework of globalization. Sugar beet is one of the agricultural products that were greatly affected these changes. In recent years, the oversupply and price falls experienced in world sugar production led the World Trade Organization and the European Union to develop new policies and in addition to producers, these policies have greatly affected workers, employers, consumers, national economy and the structure of sugar beet market in terms of production, industry and foreign trade. Being a member of the World Trade Organization and a candidate of the European Union, it is evident that Turkey have been greatly affected by these developments. Ağrı Sugar Factory have had difficulties adapting to the sugar law, which was enacted in 2001 to adapt to abovementioned policies, and the number of settlements and farmers have been decreasing with each passing day. Sugar industry in Ağrı have been adversely affected sugar policies implemented in recent years and resulting processes, and if necessary measures are not taken to strengthen the sugar industry, complete shutdown of Ağrı Sugar Factory, which has been struggling for its existence until 2014 and had to have a production breakdown, will be inevitable. Considering the natural and economic features of Ağrı region which adversely affect the socio‐economic development, the existing cultivation and production activities related to sugar beet need the support of the government. The operation of the existing factory with the support of the government increases the commitment of the local community and prevents migration from the region and increases the economic activities in the region As is known, thanks to their socioeconomic policies, sugar factories contribute to the development of country’s agriculture and husbandry, help the rural population survive and partly prevent the problem of migration from rural ares to the city from growing. With this study, it is aimed to investigate the negative effects of the recent sugar policies in Turkey, especially the Sugar Law enacted in 2001, on the Sugar Factory, which provide the abovementioned benefits for the province of Ağrı.