Turkey's greenhouse industry looks towards technology, investment and international collaboration

Greenhouse investment, biological control, production hygiene, and emerging crop markets will be among the subjects addressed at Growtech Antalya 2026, taking place from 24–27 November in Türkiye. The conference programme, introduced by Growtech advisor Mr Hakan Öztürk of Agro Business Consultancy (ABC), includes seven sessions examining developments across commercial horticulture and controlled environment agriculture.

According to Mr Öztürk, the programme is intended to bring together different parts of the industry, from growers and technology providers to investors, researchers, financial institutions and public institutions.

Greenhouse investment and project development

One of the programme's central topics is greenhouse investment, with a panel bringing together representatives from government, banks, investors and project implementers. The discussion will address the different considerations involved in developing greenhouse projects, including financing, investment structures and project execution.

He shares that the greenhouse sector in Turkey is gradually moving from traditional production towards more technology-intensive systems.

"Scale, expertise and management are very important in this transition. High-tech production is not only about investment. It is also about culture, knowledge and management."

He also pointed to the difficulty of introducing significant technology investments into smaller operations, noting that the average greenhouse in Türkiye is approximately 3,000 square metres.

Hygiene and biological control in commercial production

Two further programme topics focus on greenhouse hygiene and biological control. The BIOTED session will examine integrated pest management (IPM) in relation to food safety, while a separate discussion will consider greenhouse hygiene as part of a broader approach to investment, production and operational management.

These subjects are closely linked to the increasing importance of residue management, pesticide controls and consistent production standards in commercial horticulture.

He previously identified low-residue production as an increasingly important consideration for Turkish growers, particularly as higher-quality production has enabled access to additional European markets.

Crop diversification and medical cannabis

The programme also addresses two areas of crop diversification: berry production and medical cannabis.

The Berry World session will examine Türkiye's developing position in berry production, bringing together specialists from the sector. The medical cannabis programme is divided into two discussions, one examining global markets, production models and investment opportunities, and another focusing on investor and government perspectives in Türkiye.

The inclusion of medical cannabis reflects growing interest in the development of regulated controlled-environment production. Mr Öztürk has followed this sector alongside other emerging agricultural technologies, including indoor farming and artificial intelligence.

"Eight or nine years ago, I began working on topics such as indoor farming, artificial intelligence and cannabis, long before they became mainstream in the country," he previously explained. Now he can say that they are successfully creating future market strategies, not simply copying what others are doing.

International investment and cooperation

Beyond Türkiye, the programme includes a presentation on investment opportunities in Portugal, with a focus on international cooperation.

For him, access to the right expertise is an important part of developing new agricultural projects. "Nobody knows everything. I collect the people who know each part better than I do and build the right team around a project."

For more information:

Agro Business Consultancy

Mr Hakan Öztürk

www.linkedin./hakan

[email protected]