THE TURKISH EXPERIENCE IN CONSOLIDATION OF

IRRIGATED LAND:
PRODUCTIVITY AND EFFICIENCY IMPLICATIONS

SUHA SATANA
Independent Consultant
ALI RIZA CEYLAN
Head of Real Estate and Expropriation Department at the
State Hydraulic Works
ATAKAN SERT
Survey Engineer at the Real Estate and Expropriation Department at
the
State Hydraulic Works

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Contents

• Background
• The Basic Motive for Land Consolidation
• Importance of the Land Consolidation for Irrigation
• Implementation Steps of Land Consolidation
• Indicators to Measure LC Efficiency and Effectiveness
• Summary and Conclusion

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1. Background
Formal Definition of Land Consolidation:
The process where fragmented, scattered and unfavorably shaped land parcels under private
ownership are optimally rearranged and recombined in suitable geometrical shapes to
facilitate modern agricultural practices and irrigation.

Numbered: 3083
Agricultural Reform Law on Land
Rearrangement in Irrigated Areas Numbered: 5403
Law on Soil Conservation and
Land Use
Directives & By Laws
• Regulation on Implementation
of Agricultural Reform Law
Regulating Land Regulation in **GDAR of MFAL is the responsible agency
Irrigation Areas for all LC implementations .
• Land Consolidation Technical ** LC in irrigated areas, the State Hydraulic
Directive Works (DSI) has delegated authority.
• Land Consolidation Bylaws

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2. The Basic Motive for Land Consolidation
Precedes
Land Fragmentation (LF) Land Consolidation (LC)

Primary Causes of Land Fragmentation (LF):

• LF emanating from the civil code (inheritance)
• LF caused by building irrigation and drainage channels
• LF caused by general infrastructure development (transport, network, roads, railways, etc.)
• Voluntary property subdivisions by partial sales,
• Expropriations made by various other state institutions.
LC becomes inevitable because:
• Fragmented land lead to reduction in the effective cropland area.
• Farming and use of farm machinery is especially inefficient when practiced on small parcels
of land.
• Fragmented land plots cause significant waste of time, labor and fuel to farmers for moving
from one parcel to another.
• It is both an inconvenience and a challenge trying to make effective use of farm inputs on
small parcels which are often oddly shaped.
• Irrigation infrastructure in fragmented land holdings involves higher investment costs during
construction and higher O&M costs during operations.

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2. The Basic Motive for Land Consolidation

Measures to Control Land Fragmentation:

 Definition and Enforcement of the Indivisible Parcel Size Concept

 Sale Prohibition

Why Should LC be Considered a Priority Investment

• The incidence of land fragmentation has already reached such a level that it is
inhibiting the growth and productivity of farming.
• Carrying out the necessary agricultural development services in fragmented land
has become burdensome or impossible.
• In the existing irrigation service area many parcels do not have direct access to
service roads, irrigation and drainage infrastructure.
• Additional infrastructural investments, such as state highway construction,
complementary irrigation canals and soil conservation measures have exacerbated
the existing problems.
• Due to the topographical layout of the fields, land leveling must be performed
without regard to legal parcel boundaries, but which is rendered impossible due to
fragmented and small parcels.

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3. Importance of the Land Consolidation for Irrigation

Some Observations on the Need for LC on Irrigated Land:

• Since the 1950s, a large number of irrigation projects have been completed in
Turkey at various scales.
• An assessment was made of these irrigation schemes, which revealed that the
irrigation ratio is
 66% for well-managed farming enterprises, and
 34% for not so well-managed enterprises.

• This means that:

 34% of the irrigation infrastructure (investment) cannot be utilized with well-
managed schemes,
 And, 67% of the investment is wasted on poorly operated schemes.

• Irrigation ratio aims to measure the degree of use of the irrigation infrastructure. It
is calculated by dividing the actually irrigated area to the entire area (scheme area)
for which infrastructure has been built.
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3. Importance of the Land Consolidation for Irrigation

Land Consolidation for Irrigation under DSI:

• Since 2009, DSI has been more actively involved in land consolidation.
• This responsibility was assigned to DSI under the Soil Conservation and Land Use
Law No. 5403 and the regulation titled “Agricultural Land Conservation, Use, and
Consolidation”.
• From 2007 to 2016, DSI implemented land consolidation projects on 540,000 ha of
irrigated land in 32 provinces.
Priority Criteria for New Irrigation Projects (Five-Star Rating of Projects):
• Farmers’ demand for irrigation water;
• Land fertility and climatic suitability;
• Water resource availability (a dam is ready to be used for instance)
• Type of water supply and transmission (gravity is preferred to pumping); and
• Completion of land consolidation works.

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3. Importance of the Land Consolidation for Irrigation

What Has So Far Been Achieved:

• Irrigation ratio & efficiency increase: Nearly all consolidated parcels can now be
served fully by the road network, and irrigation and drainage infrastructure.
Irrigation ratios have reached 90% and irrigation efficiencies have attained 85%.
• Amount of savings in investment costs: LC projects implemented concurrently and
in tandem with other complementary on-farm investments, such as leveling, soil
reclamation and on-farm irrigation and drainage networks have proved easier to
plan and construct without entailing expropriation problems.
• Farm input costs have decreased. The agricultural infrastructure investments
provided by the government have enabled the application of modern farming
techniques and helped increase both the quantity and quality of crops.
• Running costs for farmers have decreased. It has become possible to carry out
agriculture activities all year round by providing service road network within the
irrigation areas as well as between the fields and the settlement centers.
• Demonstration effects: In areas where land consolidation has been implemented
farmers in neighboring locations observe the positive outcomes associated with
the LC practice and hence express a formal demand for the service.

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3. Importance of the Land Consolidation for Irrigation

Current Status of Land Consolidation in Turkey

Source: DSI Real Estate and Expropriation Department

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 3. Importance of the Land Consolidation for Irrigation

Suitability of cropland for land consolidation in Turkey (Million ha)

Source: DSI Real Estate and Expropriation Department

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3. Importance of the Land Consolidation for Irrigation

Land Consolidation on Irrigated Land - by

Agency and Year (Million ha)

Key Organization Period Areas

Toprak Su & GDRS 1961-2005 0.35
GDAR 1983-2005 0.15
GDAR 2005-2016 0.88
DSI 2009-2016 0.50
Completed to Date 1.88
GDAR 2017 + 3.50
DSI 2017 + 2.38
To be Completed 2017 + 5.88
Unsuited for LC 0.75
Total Irrigation Area 8.50
MarchSource:
11, 2017DSI Real Estate and Expropriation Department 11
4. Implementation Steps of Land Consolidation

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5. Indicators to Measure LC Efficiency and Effectiveness

Few common indicators are used to measure the process (hence efficiency) and
impact (hence effectiveness)

Efficiency Indicators of LC Investments

Process related Immediate output

indicators related indicators

Building of irrigation systems The output related indicators

with LC incorporated on are intermediate indicators
rehabilitation irrigation areas because they describe the
and new irrigation schemes systems before they are put to
actual use by the farmers

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 5. Indicators to Measure LC Efficiency and Effectiveness

LC Indicators

LC Process Related LC Output Related LC Impact Related

Indicators Indicators Indicators

Efficiency related Efficiency related Effectiveness related

(a) increased irrigation ratio

and irrigation efficiency,
(a) consolidation ratio,
(b) cost savings directly linked
comparison of before and
with reduced time, labor and
after LC
farm inputs
(b) number of parcels with
(a) time and (c) crop yield enhancements,
road and without road,
(b) investment cost savings (d) reduced water used in
(c) number of parcels
in building rehabilitation or irrigation and reduced ground
bordering irrigation canals or
new irrigation systems water abstraction
other infrastructure
(e) O&M cost savings for the
(d) number of regular shaped
water users’ organizations
and misshapen parcels and
and
(e) average parcel sizes.
(f) reduced incidence of social
tension
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5. Indicators to Measure LC Efficiency and Effectiveness
Example of Process Related Indicators and Analysis
Economics of Land Consolidation
Descriptions Units Without LC With LC Increments
DATA
Land Area ha 1,000
Land value US$/ha 12,000
Irrigation Development Cost US$/ha 5,000 3,000
Technical Parameters
LC Land Deduction Practice percent 0% 10% -10%
LC Design and Implementation US$/ha 0 400 -400
Land Needed for Expropriation Percent 7.50% 0% 8%
Irrigation Development Costs Percent 100% 60% 40%
LC Design and Implementation
Calculations
Lands to be Expropriated ha 75 - 75
Expropriation Costs US$ 900,000 0 900,000
Irrigation Development Cost US$ 5,000,000 3,000,000 2,000,000
LC Related Cost US$ 0 400,000 (400,000)
Totals US$ 5,900,000 3,400,000 2,500,000
Net Area US$ 925 900 25
Unit Cost US$/ha 6,378 3,778 2,601
Savings
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Source: Author’s calculations using DSI data
 5. Indicators to Measure LC Efficiency and Effectiveness
Example of Output Related Indicators and Analysis
GDAR participatory land consolidation projects (ARIP)
Name of Participatory Land Samsun - Amasya - Konya – Karaman - Kirklareli - Aydin -
Consolidation Sub-projects Bafra Gumushaci Guneysinir, Merkez Luleburgaz Yenipazar
koy Central ve County County
Alanoz
Area (ha) 6,000 4,200 6,155 5,650 5,671 5,750
# of parcels at the start 4,830 4,822 12,085 6,839 5,436 8,851
# of parcels at the finish 3,500 3,200 6,050 3,500 2,500 4,393
Consolidation Ratio % 28 34 50 49 54 50
Parcels with road 1,200 1,500 4,500 1,800 1,550 2,400
Old parcels #
Parcels w/o road 3,630 3,322 7,585 5,039 3,886 6,451
Parcels w/ road 3,500 3,200 6,050 3,500 2,500 4,393
New parcels #
Parcels w/o road 0 0 0 0 0 0

Misshapen parcels 2300 2950 7851 4203 3450 5800

Old
Regular shaped
2,530 1 ,872 4,234 2,636 1 ,986 3,051
parcels

Misshapen parcels 230 120 250 160 236 212

New
Regular Shaped
3,270 3,080 5,800 3,340 2,264 4,181
Parcels
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 5. Indicators to Measure LC Efficiency and Effectiveness
Example of Impact Related Indicators and Analysis
Farm Management Savings
Value of
Level of
Items Units Savings
Savings
( US$/ha )
Transport - Farm to Parcel Time liter/ha/year 25 33
Transport - Road Quality Effect liter/ha/year 15 20
Mechanization - Parcel Shape Effect liter/ha/year 10 13
Total liter/ha/year 50 66
Source: Land Consolidation Projects in Turkey MFAL, GDAR, Presentation by Gürsel KÜSEK (PhD) 2010

Karaman Merkez Kisecik sub-district LC and irrigation project

Annual Water Savings
Wells Discharge
Year Project Area 2,750 ha Operation Time Abstraction Rate
number liter/sec hours m3/year percent
Open Canal Irrigation
1999 45 2,365 74,273 14,583,022
System
Pressurized Pipeline
2009 46 1,725 68,416 9,681,290 34
System
LC + Pressurized
2010 44 1,635 35,064 5,253,177 45
Pipeline
Total water saving by LC and closed irrigation pipeline 64
Source: 3rd National Irrigation Systems Symposium, October 2015 Ankara
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 5. Indicators to Measure LC Efficiency and Effectiveness

Field layout before and

after land consolidation
(all rural)

Source: DSI, Real Estate and Expropriation Department

Field layout before and

after land consolidation
(near a settlement)

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Source: DSI, Real Estate and Expropriation Department
5. Economic, Social and Technical Impacts of Land Consolidation
Economic Impact
• Crop yields increased considerably
• Switching from open irrigation
canals to closed pressurized
pipeline systems frees up the land
occupied by infrastructure and
minimizes loss of cropland
• Total fuel consumption decreases
and the environmental pollution is
reduced.
• Parcel shapes are more suited for
agricultural mechanization. Labor
will be reduced in planting,
harvesting and marketing phases
and saving time.
• Farmland appreciates in value
within a year or two by about 25%
to 40%.
March 11, 2017
Social Impact
• Farmers benefiting from LC do not lose
a good part of their land, or become
landless.
• No urge for any farmer to collect the
cash proceeds from expropriation and
be tempted to move in the urban areas
• Hence, reduced rural to urban
migration
• LC will reduce the total length of the
field boundaries by 60%.
• LC decreases disputes between farmers
for access to irrigation infrastructure
and roads.
• Greater respect of inheritance rights of
women,
• Development of a farming culture
conducive to practicing irrigation
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6. Summary and Conclusion

In summary;
• Reduced fragmentation of farmland leads to improved land use and enhanced
agricultural productivity and natural resource management, including water
resources.
• Larger land holdings assist with the building and operation of more efficient
irrigation and drainage infrastructure.
• Reduced cost of production to farmers.
• Increased ability to provide for land levelling and soil improvement services.
• Positive repercussions on land tenure, land administration and land management.
• Opportunity for renewing ownership and cadastral records to reflect changes in
property ownership.

“ LC is a process whereby the

outcome can be characterized as
one where the whole is greater
“
than the sum of its parts.
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