Value for Our Country
I
Agricultural Banking
Agricultural Loans Extended
TL 481.2 Billion
Agricultural Loans Balance
TL 601.3 Billion
As part of the financing of sustainable agriculture, considering that agricultural products emphasizing value-added production, agricultural literacy, agriculture-industry integration, and products for the development of digital agricultural banking will be the catalysts of green transformation, contributing to increasing the use of technology and sustainability in agricultural production through credit facilities provided for agricultural production and investments, especially pressurized irrigation systems, is among the main priorities of Ziraat Bank.
Ziraat Bank contributes to sustainable agriculture and food security by diversifying its credit products, and aims at sustainable financing of our country’s agriculture with banking solutions/products that will have an impact on the prevention of climate change, climate adaptation and combating drought, conservation of biodiversity, food security, and rural development, as well as Agricultural R&D.
In line with its Agricultural Banking strategy, which is based on sustainable and accessible financing, solution-orientation, and strong communication, the Bank offers products and services emphasizing value-added production and aim to develop agricultural products, agricultural literacy, agricultural entrepreneurship, cooperatives, agriculture-industry integration, and digital Agricultural Banking. It includes youth and women in the agricultural ecosystem with financing solutions supporting entrepreneurship to ensure the continuity of agricultural activity and rural development.
Financial contribution to the agricultural value chain
Throughout its 161-year history, Ziraat Bank has played an important role in the development and modernization of agriculture in our country by financing agricultural production.
Maintaining its financial support for the agricultural sector, Ziraat Bank also develops effective projects within the scope of tackling climate change. In this vein, the Bank carries out various activities aimed at saving water, the use of renewable energy in agriculture, ensuring food supply security and facilitating access to finance in cooperation with relevant Ministries, institutions, organizations and agricultural organizations.
In these activities, the Bank prioritizes facilitating direct access to finance for small-scale business owners, who constitute the most important link in the agricultural value chain, and to diversify loan products for this purpose.
Among Ziraat Bank’s goals in the agricultural sector;
Increasing production, especially indoor production, in order to ensure an adequate and sustainable supply of agricultural products,
Expanding the contracted production model to reduce producers’ agricultural input costs and the market risk of their products,
Increasing the production of products that will reduce imports,
Increasing investments to improve agricultural exports within the scope of the sustainability of the agricultural sector,
Scaling up agricultural enterprises to an economic level,
Utilization of idle operating capacities,
Increasing the agricultural mechanization level of enterprises,
Promoting the utilization of pressurized irrigation systems providing significant water savings in agricultural irrigation,
Carrying out studies on using technology to increase productivity in agriculture,
Developing investments and activities to increase the storage, processing, packaging, and marketing capacities of agricultural enterprises, especially investment projects that will create added value in agricultural production and meet the requirements of our country, and investments in licensed warehousing and cold storage, agricultural R&D, and bio-agriculture stand out.
Ziraat Bank’s plans for the agricultural sector are shaped on the axis of providing financing, encouraging investments, and sustainability in line with support programs based on general economic goals and policies for strategic sectors. Positioning agricultural financing as one of its main business lines, Ziraat Bank continues to lead the sector with its growth performance in agricultural loans and innovative approaches to access to finance.
Leader in financing agriculture with 72% market share
Maintaining its sector leadership in financing agriculture with a market share of 72%, Ziraat Bank continued its endeavors without slowing down in 2024 within the scope of its goals focused on the development of the agricultural sector in our country.
In 2024, the Bank continued to extend loans at favorable interest rates to customers operating in the sector within the subsidy rates determined based on production areas in line with the Presidential Decree and the Communiqué of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on Treasury interest-subsidized loans for agricultural production.
The performance criterion of the sustainability-themed syndicated loan secured by Ziraat Bank in 2024 with an amount of USD 1.7 billion, the largest and most widely participated sustainability-themed syndicated loan provided by a bank in Türkiye at one time and in total, was determined as “Sustainable Agriculture Financing.”
The Ziraat Farmer Platform mobile application, which enables producers to monitor climate events and the state of water in their fields, the development of their crops, sector news, current inputs such as seeds, feed, fertilizer, etc., and product prices on their phones, was put into operation. Launched in May 2024, the Platform reached 95 thousand users as of year-end 2024.
In order to provide financing opportunities in addition to Ziraat Bank’s existing tractor loan applications, the Tractor Loan with Contribution Share application was launched to be effective as of 25.10.2024, taking into account the developments in market conditions.
Share of Business Loans in Agricultural Loans Portfolio
74%
Amount of Subsidized Loans Extended
422.1 Billion
Loans transferred from Ziraat Bank resources to the agricultural sector
In 2024, TL 481.2 billion in loans were extended from Ziraat Bank resources to 750 thousand customers for the financing of the agricultural sector, with a total of 70 thousand new customers added to the portfolio. As of year-end, the balance of agricultural loans reached TL 601.3 billion, while the number of customers with loans amounted to 941,000.
Ziraat Bank’s agricultural loan portfolio consists of 26% investment loans and 74% business loans.
On the other hand, in 2024, the Bank intermediated loan allocation amounting to TL 546.9 million to a total of 1,205 individuals determined by the relevant institutions from the funds provided by various institutions. As of year-end 2024, the balance of the fund-based loan payments included in this scope was TL 2.4 billion, and the number of customers was 65 thousand.
Interest support from the Treasury for agricultural loans
In line with the Decree on Treasury Interest Supported Loans for Agricultural Production published at the end of 2023 and the Communiqué on the implementation of this Decree published in 2024, Ziraat Bank continued to extend Treasury Interest Supported (subsidized) loans to its customers operating in the agricultural sector with the discount rates determined by production areas.
In 2024, the amount of subsidized loans extended by the Bank to 633 thousand producers and companies totaled TL 422.1 billion.
Amount of Crop Production Loans Extended
TL 172.3 Billion
Amount of Aquaculture Loans Extended
TL 4.9 Billion
Financial support for the transition to value-added production through agriculture-based industry-producer cooperation
Contracted Production
As of year-end 2024, Ziraat Bank had a loan balance of TL 2.6 billion to finance contracted production activities carried out by 24 companies and producers operating in areas including vegetable farming, seed farming, broiler breeding, pepper and tomato cultivation, and sugar beet production.
Processing of Agricultural Products
As part of the financing needed for the processing of milk and production of dairy products, processing of fruits and vegetables, aquaculture products, medicinal aromatic plants, organic agricultural products, and transforming them into value-added products, the balance of loans extended amounted to TL 2.3 billion as of year-end 2024.
Licensed Warehousing
In 2024, the balance of loans extended within the scope of the licensed warehousing system, which ensures that the classes and qualities of agricultural products that are suitable for storage and can be standardized are determined by laboratories called authorized classifiers and stored in healthy environments with modern infrastructure, and that the trade of these products is carried out in the product specialization exchange, which can also operate internationally, through warehouse receipts representing the ownership of the product, amounted to TL 5.2 billion and the balance of loans extended against Electronic Warehouse Receipts (EWRs), which represent the ownership of the product placed in the warehouse, amounted to TL 471.9 million.
Cold Storage Investments
In 2024, the balance of loans extended to finance the expenditures of fruit and vegetable producers and agricultural organizations for the construction of new cold storage warehouses or modernization of existing ones for the storage and preservation of fruits and vegetables amounted to TL 290.5 million.
Crop production loans
In 2024, Ziraat Bank extended a total of TL 172,3 billion in crop production loans to 476,000 customers for vegetative production. As of year-end, the balance of loans for crop production reached TL 184 billion and the number of customers with loans reached 520 thousand.
Livestock loans
In 2024, Ziraat Bank extended a total of TL 235,2 billion in livestock production loans under various names to a total of 313,000 customers. As of the end of 2024, the balance of loans extended for livestock production had reached TL 289,7 billion, with the number of customers with credit reaching 403,000.
Aquaculture loans
During the same period, Ziraat Bank extended TL 4,9 billion in loans to 1,620 customers under the various aquaculture headings. As of year-end 2024, the balance of these loans reached TL 6 billion, and the number of customers with loans reached 2,500.
Agricultural mechanization loans
Ziraat Bank extends the tractor and agricultural mechanization loans in order to increase the mechanization level of agricultural businesses and to ensure high efficiency and profitability in production. In 2024, finance for the purchase of agricultural mechanization vehicles amounting to TL 25.5 billion was provided to approximately 62 thousand customers. TL 14.2 billion of these loans were extended for tractor purchases.
As of year-end 2024, the Bank had approximately 303 thousand customers with mechanization loans amounting to TL 87.3 billion. From these loans, tractor loans accounted for 179,000 customers, amounting to a total of TL 62.4 billion.
Support for pressurized irrigation systems
Through the loans it extends, Ziraat Bank supports the widespread use of drip and sprinkler systems, which reduce the use of water by 30-40% in agricultural irrigation, the decrease in irrigation costs and increase productivity and profitability in agricultural production, and thus the effective and efficient use of our country’s water resources.
The Bank offered the Pressurized Irrigation Loan product to producers to expand the loan volume and customer portfolio in this area.
In 2024, Ziraat Bank extended a total of TL 8.3 billion of loans for modern pressurized irrigation systems to 12,535 individuals, and contributed to water saving.
"I Have Many Reasons to Live in My Village" Project Loan Limit
TL 600,000 Thousand
Loans Extended to Young Farmers
TL 119 Billion
I Have Many Reasons to Live in My Village-Small Cattle Project
Ziraat Bank launched the “I Have Many Reasons to Live in My Village” project in the last quarter of 2020 in order to increase the number of small cattle (sheep and goats) and develop small cattle breeding.
The project has numerous aims including
increasing the scale of enterprises operating in the field of small cattle,
bringing idle operating capacity into production,
providing regional development with local sheep and goat breeding,
increasing demand for domestic-born female livestock, creating a market as well as reducing livestock imports,
diversification of financial solution alternatives for small businesses.
The loan limit that can be made available within the scope of the “I Have Many Reasons to Live in My Village” project was increased from TL 400,000 to TL 600,000 in 2024, and the period for benefiting from the project was extended until December 31, 2026.
As of year-end 2024;
The number of governorships with which a protocol has been signed reached 41,
The number of producers benefiting from the project reached 8,829,
The loan extended under the project amounted to TL 1.65 billion.
I Have Many Reasons to Live in My Village-Cattle Project
Ziraat Bank introduced its “I Have Many Reasons to Live in My Village - Cattle Breeding” Project for producers operating in cattle dairy farming at the end of October 2022.
The project aims
enlarging the scale of enterprises operating in cattle dairy farming with qualified animal breeds,
diversification of financial solution alternatives for small businesses,
bringing idle operating capacity into production,
increasing demand for domestically-born female livestock, creating a market for the excess demand for female livestock on existing dairy farms,
supporting endeavors, on the other hand, to reduce imports of livestock.
Protocols continue to be signed between the central unions and head offices of agricultural producer organizations, which will cooperate with Ziraat Bank in the project. As of year-end 2024, the number of producers to whom loan was extended reached 1,317, and the amount of loan extended reached TL 908.8 million.
Amount of Producing Cooperative Loans Extended
TL 271.1 Million
Amount of Agriculture Transfer Loans Extended
TL 579.7 Million
Financing the Agricultural Ecosystem
Increasing the number of young and female producers in the agricultural sector and encouraging these groups are important for sustainable agriculture, economic growth, and social development. In many countries where the agricultural sector is facing an aging population, the participation of young producers in agriculture is critical for the sector’s continuity and renewal.
Ziraat Bank offered the Young Farmer Loan, Women Farmer Loan, Gold Hive Loan, Producer Cooperative Loan, and Agricultural Transfer Loan products in April 2022 within the scope of its new strategy in agricultural banking, “Financing the Agricultural Ecosystem.”
TL 119 billion in loans were extended to young farmers in 2024 within the context of increasing agricultural production, supporting and developing agricultural entrepreneurship, creating alternative business lines for the young population in our country, and contributing to increasing the young population in agriculture.
In order to support women farmers’ entrepreneurship, increase their income level, create alternative sources of income, and support the employment of the female population in rural areas, TL 35 billion in loans were extended to women farmers in 2024.
Gold Hive Loan
The Gold Hive Loan was established to increase production and quality by increasing the number of enterprises operating in this field in Türkiye, which ranks first in the world in beekeeping, to develop employment in rural areas, and to provide regional development by creating alternative sources of income.
Within the scope of the loan, Ziraat Bank extended TL 816 million of loans to more than 5,000 producers in 2024.
Producer Cooperative Loan
Producer Cooperative Loan supports the transition from agricultural products to value-added products, developing a culture of doing business together, encouraging clustering in accordance with the product pattern, allocating long-term investment and business loans at preferential interest rates, supporting producers seeking to offer their products in the field or processed agricultural products directly to consumers - thus from the village to the city. The loan was established to contribute to agricultural employment in rural areas by reversing migration.
As of year-end 2024, Ziraat Bank extended TL 271.1 million in loans to 39 producer cooperatives.
Agricultural Transfer Loan
In order to enable agricultural enterprises to continue their activities and increase their loan repayment power, under the Agricultural Transfer Loan, all agricultural debts which producers has with other banks are closed and transferred to Ziraat Bank.
As of year-end 2024, TL 579.7 million was extended to 2,246 producers.
As of year-end 2024, Ziraat Bank extended;
TL 2.2 billion in loans to 3,373 producers within the scope of Agricultural Electricity Loan, facilitated to contribute to agricultural production by enabling irrigation unions, irrigation cooperatives, and individual or legal entity agricultural producers to pay their accumulated and/or current electricity bills regularly.
TL 473.1 million in loans to 559 producers under the Fisherman Support Credit, a program established to finance the operating expenses of fishermen in the fisheries sector in the 2023–2024 fishing season.
TL 286 million to 383 producers within the scope of Agricultural Renewable Energy Investments Loan to meet the loan demands of producers engaged in agricultural activities for the system installation required to generate their energy requirements from renewable energy sources, provided that it is compatible with their own production capacity.
Agricultural Ecosystem Meeting
The “Ziraat Bank Agricultural Ecosystem Meeting,” organized by the Bank for the 3rd time on 17.05.2024 based on the themes of “Sustainable Agriculture and Branding in Agriculture,” was attended by the President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Minister of Treasury and Finance, Mehmet Şimşek, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, İbrahim Yumaklı, the General Manager of Ziraat Bank, Alpaslan Çakar, members of the Ziraat Bank Board of Directors and industrial stakeholders. Attended by more than 2,000 sector stakeholders, the meeting attracted intense media attention and received extensive print and broadcast media coverage.
Within the scope of the meeting, sessions on “Sustainability and Climate Change in Agriculture,” “Geographically Marked Products and Branding in Agriculture,” and “Future of Agriculture” were organized, and developments in agriculture were shared by panelists. Broad participation from all cities within the organization proved beneficial for information exchange and business networking.
Mr. Alpaslan Cakar, the General Manager of Ziraat Bank, introduced the Ziraat Farmer Platform mobile application.
The integrated report addresses the economic, environmental, and social performance of Ziraat Bank for the period between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024 under a holistic approach. The report includes information regarding the Bank’s banking activities and its domestic and international subsidiaries.
Your views on how we can further improve our report in the future will guide us. Please share your opinions and suggestions via e-mail.
