Gaziantep Province Current Situation Analysis Summary

Gaziantep, one of Turkey’s major cities located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region, ranks among the top in terms of industry and development. Gaziantep is also an education, trade and industrial city. The province’s manufacturing sector forms the most dynamic industrial base in the region, supported by a skilled workforce and a long-standing industrial tradition. The manufacturing sector displays a diverse structure in terms of both volume and production capacity and employment, encompassing a wide range of businesses from small-scale manufacturing units and workshops to large-scale industrial facilities.

According to Gaziantep Chamber of Industry data, businesses operating in the food processing sector account for approximately 21% of total industrial firms in the province. In Gaziantep’s manufacturing industry, the food processing sector is the second most important sector after textiles, both in terms of number of enterprises and contribution to employment. Although it is not predominantly an agricultural province, Gaziantep and surrounding areas serve as important centres for the processing of a wide variety of agricultural products.

Gaziantep has a strong regional infrastructure for agro-industry. Across the province, a total of 2,903 businesses operate in agricultural production and processing. While the food processing infrastructure is well developed, expanding modern integrated facilities in areas such as dairy products, vegetable processing and packaging will further increase production capacity.

Agricultural Production Profile and Sectoral Characteristics

Gaziantep is moving from diversification towards specialisation in agricultural production. Pistachios, grapes and olives stand out as economically more important products. In dried vegetable production, red pepper, aubergine and tomato products are seen as strong potential for agro-industrial integration. In the livestock sector at provincial level, small-scale enterprises predominate. In addition, aquaculture has been spreading in recent years. On the other hand, seasonal labour is widely used in agricultural production activities, and it is stated that agricultural cooperatives and producer associations still need development.

Gaziantep’s Strategic Agricultural Products: Pistachios (global branding and integrated processing facilities), red pepper (high potential for dried vegetable industry) and durum wheat (raw material for pasta and bulgur industry) stand out.

Effects of the Earthquake on Rural Economy and Agricultural Recovery

The February 2023 earthquakes significantly affected Gaziantep’s rural economy. One of the key issues emphasised in both focus group meetings and surveys was the difficulties in finding agricultural workers after the earthquake. Participants stated that labour shortage, especially during maintenance and harvest periods, was the most critical bottleneck. While some farmers in the province resumed production within six months after the earthquake, a significant proportion still face difficulties in starting and sustaining production even 2.5 years after the earthquake. Agricultural recovery has been observed to be more difficult in districts such as Nurdağı and İslahiye.

Farmers stated that equipment loss and damage to storage facilities were among the most urgent problems. They also emphasised that they depend on intermediaries to market their agricultural products and that this often leads to a decrease in their income. Rising costs in inputs such as fertiliser, seed and irrigation stand out as a major barrier for farmers to resume or increase production. High input costs have been identified by farmers as the most critical issue.

Labour, Institutional Support and Future Needs

In interviews with farmers, social media and informal networks were cited as the main sources of information on climate change, while public institutions were said to play a limited role in awareness campaigns. Most participants reported that young people do not turn to agriculture sufficiently unless incentives or structured training opportunities are offered.

In Gaziantep, the post-earthquake period has highlighted needs for expanded access to agricultural infrastructure support, financial and technical assistance, improved service delivery and strengthening of farmer cooperatives and associations. Developing climate adaptation strategies suited to local conditions and youth-focused rural participation mechanisms is important for the continuity and resilience of agricultural production.