The Impact of Agricultural Support on the Cost of Certain Forage Crops in Erzurum Province

The objective of the study is to reveal the impact of agricultural subsidies provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on the costs of certain forage crops in Erzurum province. The study used data obtained from 306 surveys conducted through a simple random sampling method from farms producing alfalfa, sainfoin, and vetch in Erzurum province during the 2021 production year. All data obtained from the surveys were averaged per decare and analyzed. The cost calculation includes all expenses incurred to produce a crop. In alfalfa farms, the cost of alfalfa was calculated as 1.05 ₺/kg before receiving subsidies. However, after receiving subsidies, this cost decreased to 0.86 ₺/kg. In sainfoin farms, the production cost was determined to be 1.32 ₺/kg for farms not receiving subsidies, while it was 0.99 ₺/kg for farms receiving subsidies. In vetch farms, the production cost was found to be 1.49 ₺/kg for farms not receiving subsidies, while it was 1.25 ₺/kg for farms receiving subsidies. The research explains the difference that agricultural subsidies make in the production of these forage crops. The findings indicate that agricultural subsidies have the potential to reduce costs, which can increase farmers' income and encourage agricultural production.