GÜBRETAŞ, which was established in 1952 by the decision of the Council of Ministers under the Prime Ministry of the late Adnan Menderes, continues to contribute to the increase in productivity and quality in agricultural production.

AA – KOCAELİ (Kadir Yıldız) Gübre Fabrikaları Türk AŞ (GÜBRETAŞ), which was established on 6 November 1952 by the decision of the Council of Ministers under the Prime Ministry of the late Adnan Menderes, in order to increase the quality and efficiency in the country's agriculture by supplying chemical fertilizer input to the agricultural sector, is in its 68th year with the R&D it pioneered in the sector. Ge studies continue to contribute to increased productivity and quality in agricultural production with its innovative products.

Adnan Menderes, the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Democratic Party (DP), who won the general elections on May 14, 1950, stated in his first public address that 80 percent of Turkey lived in villages, that they would extend their help to the villagers, and that, in addition to other investments and incentives in this field, they would provide agricultural machinery and equipment to farmers. He stated that they will provide fertilizer.

GÜBRETAŞ was established on November 6, 1952, with the decision of the Council of Ministers under the Prime Ministry of the late Menderes, who saw in the feasibility studies conducted at that time that the highest potential for Turkey's development was in the agricultural industry.

Turkey's first chemical fertilizer factory was opened by GÜBRETAŞ in Sarıseki, İskenderun, in 1954. In the factory, which has a production capacity of 100 thousand tons per year, NSP (Normal Super Phosphate) fertilizer was produced and put on the market.

The second factory was established in Kocaeli Yarımca in 1961, with a production capacity of 100 thousand tons per year. In 1986, the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE), now known as Borsa Istanbul, started operating.

GÜBRETAŞ, one of the 15 companies that went public on the stock exchange and started trading from the first day, also became a link in the finance sector.

GÜBRETAŞ, which has been carrying out important work to make agriculture more productive in Turkey since its establishment, continues its work by accelerating.

GÜBRETAŞ, which has pioneered the sector with on-site and online agricultural consultancy services, soil analysis training and prescriptions, farmer awareness meetings and model field applications aimed at popularizing conscious agriculture, which it has focused on in recent years, also supports its leadership in the market with its R&D studies.

Celebrating its 68th anniversary, GÜBRETAŞ has increased its total annual production capacity in the solid and liquid-powder group to over 1 million tons and its sales amount, which was 19 thousand 500 tons in 1954, to 1 million 900 thousand tons in recent years, with a market share of 31 percent. continues its leadership in the sector.

“The publicly owned company successfully maintains its leadership in the sector”

GÜBRETAŞ General Manager İbrahim Yumaklı, in his statement to the AA correspondent, said that it was initially a public economic enterprise under the name of Gübre Fabrikaları Türk Anonim Şirketi, under the leadership of Ziraat Bank, Agricultural Equipment Institution, Sugar Factories, Sümerbank, Etibank, Makine Kimya Endüstrisi and Fertilizer Corporation Of America A.G. He said that the institution, which was established with the partnership of companies, officially started its operations at the beginning of 1953 as the first company in the sector.

Stating that the investment process for the first domestic fertilizer production facility was initiated after the establishment, Yumaklı stated that the opening of Turkey's first fertilizer factory, which was established in the İskenderun district of Hatay in 1954, was made by the then President Celal Bayar and the Minister of Industry Sıtkı Yırcalı.

Yumaklı stated that GÜBRETAŞ started to produce NSP fertilizer in this first factory with a capacity of 100 thousand tons and that it has been made available to Anatolian farmers since that year and continued as follows:

“GÜBRETAŞ's national and domestic production journey has reached today with the second factory established in Kocaeli Yarımca in 1961 and other facility investments made over the years. As of November 6, we will celebrate our 68th birthday as GÜBRETAŞ. The company has made a name for itself with its investments abroad in the last 15 years, and since 25 percent of its shares were offered to the public on the stock exchange and the remaining 75 percent belonged to Agricultural Credit Cooperatives, Turkey's largest farmer family, with the privatization in 1993, it is 100 percent available to the public. As a company owned by the company, it maintains its leadership in the sector successfully and consistently.”

“One of the most important steps towards increasing productivity in agriculture”

Stating that the purpose of GÜBRETAŞ's establishment was to increase agricultural productivity by using chemical fertilizers, which were not very common in Turkey until then, Yumaklı said that after the 1940s, when World War II took place, 80 percent of the population in Turkey was in the early 1950s. He stated that he lived in rural areas.

Yumaklı stated that at that time, the nation was fighting for freedom by paying heavy prices, and on top of that, they were struggling with the harsh conditions of World War II.

Yumaklı stated that during the Menderes period, some agricultural institutions and factories began to be opened throughout the country and steps were taken to increase agricultural production with state institutions such as the Agricultural Equipment Institution.

“The number of tractors, which was around 1,800 in 1948, reached 44 thousand in 1957, and the number of combine harvesters, which was around 1,000 in 1950, reached 6,000 in 1957. In such a process, GÜBRETAŞ, which was decided to be established in 1952, was one of the most important steps towards increasing productivity in the field of agriculture. The capacity of Turkey's first fertilizer factory, established in Iskenderun in 1954, was 100 thousand tons. Today, GÜBRETAŞ's annual solid fertilizer production capacity is 985 thousand tons and its liquid-powder production capacity is 100 thousand tons. Today, it is possible to say that the annual production capacity and annual consumption of the Turkish fertilizer industry, together with other fertilizer companies, has reached around 6 million tons. If we express it with agricultural production data in the last 15 years, Turkey is first in Europe and among the top 7 in the world. GÜBRETAŞ, which was established during the late Adnan Menderes period, and other companies and their works aimed at agricultural development have a large share in these results. In this respect, we see the 68-year story of GÜBRETAŞ as a summary of Turkey's growth by producing in industry and agriculture, initiated by the late Adnan Menderes.”

“The Turkish agricultural sector commemorates Menderes with mercy and gratitude”

Yumaklı emphasized that the late Adnan Menderes was a very important name in terms of Turkey's political and social life, and added that with the national industry and domestic production moves that Menderes initiated after the difficult years and the steps he took to gain spiritual values, the country's lands and people regained their self-confidence. He said that he contributed greatly to his victory.

Stating that they turned GÜBRETAŞ's founding certificate into a billboard, Yumaklı stated that this document is the pride of the company.

Yumaklı stated that, as in the GÜBRETAŞ decision 68 years ago, the companies established and the investments made with the signatures of the Menderes government at that time contributed to the employment of thousands of people. Yumaklı stated that the factories established were planted in the ground as a "seed" at that time, and over the years they sprouted and turned into fruit and continue to contribute to today's Turkish economy.

Stating that GÜBRETAŞ is one of the examples of Turkey's political and economic recovery period, which started with Adnan Menderes, and continues to this day with stability, Yumaklı said:

“As GÜBRETAŞ, we see the signature of Menderes and his friends on the company's founding document as a starting point and an honor. We believe that the points that Menderes drew attention to 68 years ago are still important for the growth of the country's agriculture and economy. In order to carry his mission regarding the development of the country that he initiated into the future, we continue and will continue to contribute to agriculture with both our products and services and our social responsibility efforts to popularize conscious agriculture, which we believe is very important today and for which we have been working especially for the last 3 years. The Turkish agricultural sector remembers Menderes with mercy and gratitude.”

“Our market share is 31 percent”

Yumaklı also gave the following information about the financial and operational volume reached by the Company:

“Our company, which started out with a capacity of 100 thousand tons in its first period, has reached an annual production capacity of 1 million tons with the liquid-powder group in its 68th year, its sales amount from 19 thousand 500 tons in 1954 to 1 million 900 thousand tons, and a market share of 31 percent. As the owner, it is the industry leader. We completed last year with a consolidated turnover of 4.5 billion lira. GÜBRETAŞ currently has its own 2 ports, 1 R&D center, 3 laboratories, 5 factories and 8 regional directorates throughout Turkey. At the same time, we provide service with around 2,700 sales points, 1,800 of which belong to Turkish Agricultural Credit Cooperatives, and more than 110 types of fertilizers. On the other hand, we continue to lead the sector with our domestic and international investments. We aimed to realize the largest investment budget in the company's history in 2019. By the end of the year, we will have accomplished most of this. Port expansion work in Yarımca is important for our activities to continue more efficiently. We opened our logistics center in Iskenderun at the end of September. Thus, our storage capacity increased to 472 thousand tons. “We will continue to invest for a much stronger GÜBRETAŞ in both Kocaeli Yarımca and İskenderun and in all areas where we operate.”

This news was quoted from Anadolu Agency.

You can access the news with its video from the following link: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/ekonomi/menderesin-kurdugu-gubretas-68-yildir-turk-ciftcisinin-yaninda/1636946