The Exchange’s prize competition for young people with agricultural project ideas
THE WINNERS OF THE 10TH EDITION OF ‘AGRICULTURE RISES WITH YOUTH’ HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED
The İzmir Commodity Exchange (İTB) has announced the results of its annual “Agriculture Rises with Youth” ideas competition. Now in its tenth edition, the competition supports young people who want to pursue projects in agriculture.
The competition featured five categories: “Smart Agriculture”, “Environmentally Friendly Agriculture”, “Agricultural Marketing, Branding and Communications”, “Rural Development”, and “Crop and Livestock Production”. It aimed to improve sustainability and competitiveness in agriculture and encourage the development of modern farming practices. It also sought to strengthen young people’s ties to the sector by encouraging them to develop ideas that drive innovation and connect agriculture with other fields.
Işınsu Kestelli, Chair of the Board of Directors of the İzmir Commodity Exchange, highlighted the vital role of agriculture in sustainable and inclusive growth. “Keeping young people involved in farming and livestock production is a major challenge we need to address. The İzmir Commodity Exchange has served İzmir and the national economy for 135 years, and universal values guide everything we do. We believe success comes from sustained effort,” she said.
Drawing inspiration from the words of our great leader, “All our hope lies in the youth”, Işınsu Kestelli emphasised that the Exchange has long worked to keep young people, who are the future of the country, involved in farming and livestock production. “Through the tenth edition of our Agriculture Rises with Youth Project Ideas Competition, we set out to support young people who want to work in agriculture and bring their creative ideas to light. The İzmir Commodity Exchange will always stand by young people as they pursue this path,” she said.
After applications closed, a jury comprising members of the Exchange’s management, academics, and representatives of public institutions identified the projects that met the competition rules and assessed them. The first-place project earned a cash prize of TRY 50,000, the second-place project TRY 30,000, and the third-place project TRY 20,000. Participants whose ideas were selected by the jury for exhibition each received a TRY 5,000 exhibition award. The three prize winners and the entrants whose projects were selected for exhibition will receive their awards and certificates of participation at an upcoming exhibition and award ceremony organised by the İzmir Commodity Exchange.
Who served on the jury?
İTB Board Members İlhan Zincircioğlu and Sonnur Kırmızıoğlu, Exchange Honorary Member Dr Tayfur Akın, Deputy Director of the İzmir Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry Fatih Kılıç, TOBB Academic Advisor and Ege University Department of Economics Associate Professor Dr Elif Tunalı Çalışkan, Ege University Faculty of Agriculture Department of Agricultural Economics Assistant Professor Dr Duygu Tosun, Yaşar University Vocational School Deputy Director and Head of the Department of Food Processing Associate Professor Dr Ruhan Aşkın Uzel, Ege University Faculty of Engineering Department of Computer Engineering Gönen Özşatır, and Ege University Faculty of Engineering Department of Food Engineering Associate Professor Dr Seda Ersus.
Competition winners:
First prize:
Tarık Yıldız/ Environmentally Friendly Agriculture Category: Project idea titled “Production of Smart Fertiliser Using Encapsulated Probiotics and Biochar Derived from Whey and Agricultural Waste”
Second prize:
Ali Kayra Kocatürk/ Environmentally Friendly Agriculture Category: Project idea titled “Agrion - Robotic System for Crop Morphological Phenotyping for Climate-Friendly Agriculture”
Third prize:
Buse Yıldız/ Environmentally Friendly Agriculture Category: Project idea titled “Bio-Condenser”
Project Ideas Selected for Exhibition:
Selin Saygel/ Environmentally Friendly Agriculture Category: Project idea titled “R-Viyol”
Şehnaz Can/ Environmentally Friendly Agriculture Category: Project idea titled “Agrisah”
Sude Cangür - İbrahim Çelik/ / Environmentally Friendly Agriculture Category: Project idea titled “Biokor”
Cihan Karapunar / Agricultural Marketing, Branding and Communications Category: Project idea titled “Farmer Ai: Your Digital Farm”
Mehmet Fatih Aksoy / Environmental Agriculture Category: Project idea titled “Liquid Bio-Shield 4.0: A Phase-Change Bio-Mulch System Applied Using AI-Powered Drone Technology”
Mehmetcan Erbaş / Smart Agriculture Category: Project idea titled “A New Future for Agriculture in the Microcosm of the Seed”
Ahmet Taha Akkoca / Environmentally Friendly Agriculture Category: Project idea titled “Environmentally Friendly Farming Through the Production of Bioactive Fertiliser and Water-Retaining Gel from Tea Waste”
Ece Yücel / Rural Development Category: Project idea titled “Agro Anatolian Fine Dining Project”
Hümeyra Sarıdayı / Crop and Livestock Production Category: Project idea titled “Development of an Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (ROV) Capable of Autonomous Movement for Water and Fish Monitoring”
Özge Karacay / Environmentally Friendly Agriculture Category: Project idea titled “Bio-Sap”
Eslem Şura Cağaloğlu / Rural Development Category: Project idea titled “Flavour Explorer - Experience Corridors App”
Hidayet Ersin Büyüksarı / Environmentally Friendly Agriculture Category: Project idea titled “Biopop”
Duygu Bağçivan / Environmentally Friendly Agriculture Category: Project idea titled “Quiet Strength in the Soil – An Agriculture- and Nature-Based Support Project for Autistic Children”
Tülin Kılıç / Rural Development Category: Project idea titled “Children of the Soil: Empowering Families with Special Needs Through Farming and Livestock Production”
The exhibition of project ideas will be open to visitors at the 21st AgroExpo International Agriculture and Livestock Fair, which will take place from 3 to 7 February 2026.
