Comparative economic analysis of farms in Turkey and a critical assessment of the annual profitability: The case of Yozgat Province

In this research, economic analysis of farms and their annual operating results were analyzed in Yozgat province holding great significance in agricultural potential in Turkey, and various evaluations were made regarding their agricultural income. The research was conducted via surveys applied to 181 farms identified through a stratified random sampling method. Farms were ranked with respect to farmland sizes and divided into three strata (1-50 decares, 50.01150 decares, and 150.01-500 decares). Farms were considered as a whole and analyzed comparatively with respect to the strata. In the study, it was observed that 82.70% of active capital consisted of farm capital, and 17.30% of it also operating capital. The annual average operating income of farms was $ 4 493.81, and it was lower than the annual minimum wage income ($ 5 859.89). 68.46% of gross production value was plant production and 31.54% of it also animal production. The economic profitability rate was 1.60%, and it was lower than the returns of the capital market. It was tested by Chi-square if there were differences among strata in terms of operating results, and it was determined there were significant differences among the strata. In that respect, the manuscript is important in developing and guiding effective agricultural policies regarding the agricultural sector in Turkey.