GÖNEN, Turkey, June 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Autonomous tractor operations are gaining ground on Turkey’s small and medium-sized family farms, where labor shortages and rising costs remain persistent challenges. Driving this transformation is the increasing uptake of the XAG APC2 AutoPilot Console, which turns even aging tractors into smart, capable field partners. As young people return to agriculture, their push to upgrade existing machinery is making automation more attainable and driving greater efficiency across the sector.
Turkey’s agricultural landscape is shaped by its vast number of tractors—over 1.5 million, the largest fleet in Europe. The majority of these machines are in the hands of family farms, the backbone of national food production. For these families, each tractor must be a reliable, all-purpose workhorse. But as economic pressures and labor scarcity rise, many have found their trusted machinery in need of an upgrade—not in form, but in function.
Gönen, renowned for its expansive paddy fields and rice-growing expertise, is a place where this change is underway. Here, 24-year-old Numan Korkmaz and his family cultivate 140 hectares of rice paddies. Leaning against his red Tümosan tractor, jacket still dusted from morning work, Numan talks about new agricultural technology with the same confidence his parents once reserved for weather and water—unpredictable but essential for survival.
“We need to keep up with modern times in our sector,” he says. For Numan, that meant investing in an XAG APC2 AutoPilot Console—a decision driven by his goal to enable precision farming, achieve centimeter-level accuracy, and ensure orderly, safe work for both daily operations and his family farm’s future.
Before the APC2, Numan’s work demanded constant focus just to keep the tractor straight. Fatigue from long days led to overlapping rows, wasted seeds, and the worry that even a small mistake could cost the season. “Our work was completely manual,” Numan remembers.
The APC2 marked a turning point. The system delivers hands-free steering and precision accuracy for a wide range of tractors, supporting the production of different crops. Instead of worrying about missed patches or crooked lines, Numan now lets the tractor steer itself, even at night or on tough terrain.
With tasks such as sowing, fertilizer spreading, or harrowing, Numan is impressed by how APC2’s accurate, parallel line keeping has transformed his routine. “Accuracy and precision are a must for us,” he says. “I prefer the AB straight line function—it’s faster, easier, and more practical.”
This new confidence comes from APC2’s RTK-based positioning, further supported by IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensors for terrain compensation, which instantly detect ground slope and keep the tractor on course. Overlaps are minimized and every part of land is used efficiently. “Fuel and time savings are our top priorities, and we are also seeking to reduce excessive inputs,” Numan notes.
Such gains are supported by research: Turkish academic studies show GNSS-based guidance reduces field overlaps and input use by 6–10%. Thanks to even greater accuracy with RTK, farmers like Numan are achieving significant savings in fuel and resources, boosting the productivity of each operation.
These improvements are especially critical for small and medium farms today. Turkey’s annual inflation rate stood at 37.86% in April 2025, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK); persistently high costs, especially for fuel, put intense pressure on farm budgets. Solutions for improving productivity and saving resources have become a necessity, not just an aspiration.
For years, these gains seemed out of reach for smallholders, limited by high upfront costs and technical complexity. XAG APC2 has changed the landscape with its all-in-one, waterproof design that integrates navigation and control in a single unit. The system is operated via a smartphone app and requires minimal maintenance. “If you can use an Android phone, you can use this system,” Numan says, highlighting a key factor in bridging agriculture’s generational gap.
On a typical day, Numan starts work at 7:30 a.m. and covers nearly 9 hectares using only 30 liters of diesel—a clear demonstration of the savings and peace of mind automation provides. On affordability, he’s candid: “On the contrary, it’s actually more costly not to buy it.”
As policymakers encourage sustainable progress, real change is unfolding in Turkey’s fields, led by forward-thinking farmers like Numan. For him and other smallholders, adopting new technology isn’t just about keeping pace—it’s about safeguarding the future of their lands. With the next generation stepping into the spotlight, Turkish agriculture is poised to become more productive, resilient, and ready for tomorrow’s challenges.