PROBLEMS OF SUGAR BEET PRODUCERS IN SIVAS PROVINCE AND PROPOSALS FOR SOLUTIONS

Abstract

Sivas Province is one of the ten provinces with the largest volume of sugar beet cultivation in our country. The study titled "Sugar beet producers' problems in Sivas Province and suggestions to identified problems" determined the sub problems encountered by sugar beet producers in regards to selection of varieties, precautions taken against frost, weeds and diseases in sugar beet cultivation areas, irrigation methods, preference of fertilizers, marketing and quota practice and solutions were sought to these problems. The research was carried out with the help of interviews and field observation methods, which are qualitative research methods. A semi-structured questionnaire was used in the interview. It was determined in the interviews that representatives of seed companies were also effective in the selection of variety in addition to yield factor. It was identified that producers took precautions against frost by delaying sowing time against and did not use any other methods. The most common weeds in sugar cultivation areas were found to be goosefoot, mustard, death angel and common wild oat while root rot, leaf spot, powdery mildew and root bearding were the type of most common plant diseases respectively found in beet cultivation areas. Climatic conditions were found to determine the number of irrigations in sugar beet cultivation areas. Unplanned and senseless irrigation was found to result in the drying of some water resources. While the sugar beet producers who were interviewed in the framework of the study indicated that they did not face marketing problems, they were observed to regard the quota practice as a significant issue.