UN: Earthquakes have caused damage to 20 percent of Turkey’s agricultural production

The United Nations (UN) announced that the Kahramanmaraş-based earthquakes had caused damage to more than 20 percent of Turkey’s agricultural production. In a written statement, the UN World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) found that the earthquake “had caused serious damage to agriculture, including crops, livestock, fishing and aquaculture, as well as rural infrastructure in the affected areas.”

The earthquakes had affected 15.73 million people living in the region and important agricultural provinces affecting more than 20 percent of the country’s food production, the statement said, adding “The earthquake-hit region known as the ‘Fertile Crescent’ of Turkey accounts for about 15 percent of the agricultural gross domestic product, while contributing to about 20 percent of the country’s agricultural exports.”

The earthquake caused $ 1.3 billion in damage to infrastructure, livestock and crops and $ 5.1 billion in losses in the agricultural sector, the statement said.