Türkiye plans AI-powered farms to bring 40,000 young people into agriculture
Türkiye is preparing a network of AI-supported farms, university training programs and robotics-based livestock operations to make agriculture more attractive to younger workers.
Türkiye is preparing a large farm modernization project designed to pull young people back into agriculture through a network of AI-supported holdings. The initiative is being developed by the Council of Higher Education and the Agricultural Technologies Clustering Foundation, known as TUME. According to Hürriyet Daily News, the target is to involve 40,000 young people in agriculture by presenting farming as a technology-driven career rather than an aging manual occupation.
The policy response reflects a serious demographic problem. The average farmer in Türkiye is reported to be 59 years old, while only about 5 percent of farmers are between 18 and 32. The article says roughly 2.3 million farmers are officially registered in the country, yet younger participants remain underrepresented across both crop farming and livestock production. That creates a clear succession risk for the farm sector if no new labor and management pipeline is built.
Project backers argue that younger candidates are pushed away by hard physical work, uncertain incomes, the low social appeal of rural life and the perception that farming remains technologically outdated. Their answer is to offer a more structured pathway: training through universities, work on highly modern farms, a predictable income and eventually a route into farm management. In that sense, the program is trying to reposition agriculture as an innovation field rather than only a family livelihood.
The plan calls for 40,000 technological farms across all 81 provinces of Türkiye, with each farm designed for around 100 head of cattle. The first model farm is being launched at Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, and the first phase is expected to involve 10 universities. Training programs are expected to last three to six months, and each farm would require about four to five acres of land.
The economics of the model are central to the pitch. Organizers say robotics and digital management tools should reduce calf mortality and raise milk yields from around 25 liters to as much as 45 liters. They expect the first 40 farms to be operating by the end of September and to be presented at Teknofest in Sanliurfa. Participants are expected to earn two to three minimum wages, and after five to ten years they may be able to take over management, making the entry path into agriculture more concrete and financially credible for younger workers.