The Kars economy has depended on agriculture and stockbreeding since early times. Agriculture was concentrated on grain, pulse and fruit production in the pre-Russian period. During the Russian occupation, the introduction of modern techniques led to a doubling in the area of cultivable land, as well as efficiency gains, making agriculture the driving force of the provincial economy. Small-scale cigarette and sunflower oil factories were also established.
At the beginning of the Republican Period, Kars agriculture was set back by the departure of skilled professionals with the endof Russian occupation, and output fell. Otherbarriers to agricultural development werethe lack of a proper road connecting Kars to other cities and the end of access to the Russian market. The decline of agriculturealso brought a drop in the proportion of thepopulation employed in agriculture, whichfell from 87 percent in the first republicancensus in 1927 to 56 percent in 2000.
The northern regions of Kars provinceare suitable for grain farming because of the altitude, soil quality and lack of water facilities.The lower and water-rich southern regionsare suitable for growing fruit and vegetables.The main vegetable crops of theprovince are sugar beet, potatoes, cabbage,onions, beans, carrots, watermelons, tomatoesand sunflowers. Fruits mostly grow in thetown of Kagýzman, among them apricots, apples, walnuts, plums, pears and cherries.
Traditionally grains, pulses and oily linseed, which was called zeyrek, were planted in Kars. The linseed oil was traditionally used in cooking. The bezirhane (linseed oil mill) at Ani proves the historic importance of this oil in Kars cuisine. Among grains, Kavilca and red wheat, which are resilient to harsh climates, have been dying out in recent years. Local barley, oats and rye, which were traditionally used to make soup and bread, are nowadays given only to animals. The lentil which was unique to the region is no longer planted. These highly nutritious products have been characteristic of the region for hundreds of years and they are compatible with the region’s climate. An association called Yer Gok Anadolu (www.yega.org.tr) has started to preserve, reproduce and market them as ecologically sound and sustainable products.
Other than these common vetch (vicia sativa), trefoil sainfoin (onobrychis vicifolia), shamrock (clover/ trifolium sp.) and mudurmuk (lathyrus sp) are planted for animal feed. These plants also help the soil to regenerate itself because of their high nitrogen levels.
STOCKBREEDING
Stockbreeding has been the main way of life in Kars for centuries. 40 percent of the province’s land consists of grasslands and meadows. The Molokan horses (also known as Viladamir horses) and Molokan cows came with the Molokans after 1878 and Zavod cows were used widely both in agriculture and stockbreeding. Milking improved in Kars during this period. The productivity of the Molokan cows have decreased in recent years because of failure to use good stallions during breeding.
Modern stockbreeding techniques are seldom-used in Kars, where most breeding is carried out by small family businesses using traditional methods.
Due to a lack of support given to the region for stockbreeding, a lack of mechanisation of agriculture and improper use of grasslands and meadows, stockbreeding has not developed as it should have in Kars. During the early years of the Republic, Kars provided a significant proportion of Turkey’s livestock but today this has declined considerably.
Poultry and beekeeping are also important parts of the stockbreeding sector in Kars, and the local breeds of geese, resilient to cold weather, are unique to Kars and its environs in Turkey.
INDUSTRY
Industry in Kars began during the 40-year Russian occupation between 1878 and 1918. Before that, in Ottoman times, there was a closed economic system with limitedproduction based on stockbreeding and crafts supportive of agriculture such as smithery or iron working. Industrial plants and goods produced for trade were the core of industry during the Russian period. Production facilities for processing sunflower seeds and tobacco were established. This revival in agriculture-based industry had positive effects on stockbreeding. The output of dairy products and leather workshops increased.
During the Republican Period, industry was considered a priority on the road to national development. But it took another 40 years for industrial investment to reach Kars, beginning with the establishment of the Mill Stone factory in 1961. In the following years, industrial investments based on agriculture and animal products were carried out.
The construction of the Kars Organised Industry Region (Kars OSB) began in 1976 but factories were introduced to the regionmuch later, after 2000. Today only about half of the OSB is full.
Kars was given the status of a first-priority development area in 1968. However, other than the OSB and small-scale industrial sites in Kagizman and Sarikamis, there are very few factories. Most factories work at a low capacity producing mainly agricultural products.
The current facilities are insufficient for the industrial development of the city. According to 2003 data, the share of industry in total employment in the province is only 2.2 percent. This ratio is 3.26 percent in the East Anatolia region generally and 13.5 percent nationwide.
TRADE
Kars was an important trade route since early times because of its strategic location. The ruins of Ani, established in about 300BC on the Silk Road, suggests that the area has always been important for trade,especially for the Asia-Europe trade that came from Iran via Kars-Erzurum and the Trabzon harbour. It was again after the Russian occupation in 1878 that trade. As a result of innovations in agriculture, the variety and quantity of products increased. The railway built between Kars and Tbilisi gave the city access to the Caucasian market. On the other hand, trade via Trabzon with other Ottoman cities was cut off, leaving the region dependent on the connection to Russia via Tbilisi.
After the end of Russian occupation, trade in Kars went downhill as the newly established Soviet Union restrained external trade. Agricultural and stockbreedingbased trade lost its dynamism. The railway that connected central Anatolia to Erzurum, which opened in1939, again gave Kars access to new markets, leading to a revival in production and trade.
The Akkaya border crossing to Armenia was closed in 1993 following the Karabag problem between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and this freezing of Turkish-Armenian trade relations dealt another blow to Kars.
One of the main obstacles to the economic development of Kars has been the failure to build the new Kars-Tbilisi railway, a project agreed in 1993 that would unite Europe with the Caucasus and Central Asia. If this project comes to life it should lead to acceleration in trade and market relations between regions and continents.
Today, commerce is concentrated in the city centre and heavily relies on agriculture and animal products. Kars honey, kasar (a Turkish cheese similar to cheddar) and gruyere cheese are the most important products of the city that attract nationwide demand. The livestock trade with other cities is also significant in the summer. As a result of the insufficiency of manufacturingindustry, Kars remains dependent on the outside world.
Kars imports from Russia, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Iran, Holland and Georgia and exports, though on a very limited scale to Iran, Nahcivan, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
The most important trade organizations in Kars are the Chamber of Industry and Trade and the Union of Trade and Craft Chambers.
TOURISM
Kars has plenty of potential for tourism, with its natural environment and rich cultural and historical heritage.
Located 1,750 metres above sea level, it is an ideal location for winter tourism and winter sports (see page 63), given the long winter season.
Many civilizations from the Urartians to the Armenians, Seljuks, Ottomans and Russians lived in the Kars region, making the area a strong draw for cultural tourism, while its lakes and rivers, birdwatching opportunities (see page 36) and rich flora are attractive to nature-lovers.
The number of tourists visiting Kars is much lower compared to other tourism centres, though it has done better than many east Anatolian provinces. Among over 20 million foreign tourists visiting Turkey in 2005, only 59,000 came to the East Anatolia Region and only 7,760 visited Kars.
In recent years the number of tourists visiting Kars has been increasing due to national and international activities held in the region and better air access.
