THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN HORTICULTURE; THE CASE STUDY OF YAYLACIK VILLAGE IN KONYA, TURKEY

Abstract

The Republic of Turkey occupies a unique geographical and cultural position at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Turkey has a total land area of 78 million hectares and a population is about 70 m illion. Approximately one third of the land is arable, and 26 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Since the formation of the modern state of Turkey in 1923, th e economy has been grown rapidly. However, economic growth slowed in the mid-1990s in the wake of a fis cal and monetary crisis. There are wide disparities in income between the more prosperous, industrialized parts o f the country in the west and south-west, and the l ess developed provinces in the rest of Turkey. In 2007, gross national income was USD 5500 per capita. Turkey's economy mostly depends on agricultural sector rather than industry and services. Even Turkish industry is commonly agricultural manufacturing, so economic development of Turkey will pick up speed whenever agricultural development exists in Turkey. Agricultural production has to be raised at least double times in Turkey because of the fast growing populat ion In order to feed fast growing population of Tur key, in recent years, modern agricultural technologies, irr igation systems, environment friendly fertilizers, quality seeds, and agricultural credits has being applied in Turke y's agriculture. All those inputs need to be used b y knowledgeable farmers in order to get sufficient re sults. Turkey's farms have been obtained a family business and small scale. Day to day, youths are not intere sting in agriculture in Turkey as well as like developing co untries. Almost 8 millions employee work in agricul ture and about 60% of them are female in Turkey. In agricult ure, women have been striving the agricultural acti vities and besides their house-works. Women are drawers in agricultural development for Turkey. Whenever the women get good education, they could be affecting her hus band and children. They can also be very sensitive about their agricultural environmental production. The overall objective of this study was to examine factors influencing accessibility of women to Agric ultural Extension Services in Konya. The second purpose of the study was to investigate specific needs and int erests of women.