Plant Protection Products: Digital Governance and Traceability
Plant protection products (“PPPs”) are defined in legislation in a broad and highly technical manner. They include preparations used to protect plants and plant products against harmful organisms or to prevent their effects, excluding products intended solely for plant nutrition. These products may also influence plant growth, control or prevent undesirable developments, or eliminate unwanted plants, and typically consist of one or more active ingredients that work synergistically or enhance reliability.
Production, sale, storage, and application of PPPs have been subject to stringent administrative regulation and oversight. In Türkiye, the primary legal framework is provided by Law No. 5996 on Veterinary Services, Plant Health, Food, and Feed, supplemented by detailed secondary legislation.
On 13 December 2025, two key regulations were introduced: the “Regulation on the Application and Supervision of Plant Protection Products” and the “Regulation on Wholesale and Retail Sales and Storage of Plant Protection Products”. Both regulations signal a shift toward digitally enabled governance, emphasising process monitoring and traceability as central features of future compliance.
The B-Prescription system has been introduced which is a digital platform enabling the recording and supervision of PPP applications. By capturing data from prescription to application and harvest in a centralised database, this system enables a fully traceable supply chain. The B-Prescription system has the potential to evolve into a predictive tool, helping authorities identify risks and non-compliance before they materialise, rather than solely responding when necessary.
The regulations also modernise the oversight of PPP sales and storage. Products may only be marketed through Ministry-authorised wholesalers and retailers, with online or remote sales prohibited.
The implementation of the tracking system will provide a more robust digital governance and continuous refinement of regulatory practices to respond to emerging risks.