Felicity (Saadet) Party Headquarters Women's Branch Chairperson Nurgül Beytiye Ekinci, at the press conference held on the occasion of Farmers' Day, stated that the decrease in both agricultural lands and the number of farmers, according to official figures, put the citizens in a difficult situation and called for the government to take steps to remedy the problems of the farmers.
“INSUFFICIENT NUMBER OF FARMERS”
Noting that agriculture has a structure that has shaped humanity for centuries, Head of Felicity Party Headquarters Women's Branch Nurgül Beytiye Ekinci stated that the labor given to the land is important. Ekinci said, “There is a unique agricultural potential in every inch of Anatolia from the east to the west. However, despite this potential, according to the Social Security Institution (SGK) data, while there were 1,016,692 farmers in Turkey in 2009, this number decreased to 541,346 as of June 2021. According to the data of the Ministry of Forestry, a significant decrease is observed in agricultural lands. It is not possible to meet a production capacity that near to 500,000 people can feed 85 million people.”
“PRECAUTION MUST BE TAKEN IN AGRICULTURE”
Emphasizing that Turkey has become increasingly dependent on foreign agriculture in the field of agriculture, Ekinci stated that the reason for the increase in prices is foreign dependency and added, “The gradual decrease in our agricultural production capacity in the country is an undeniable fact that will cause an increase in our dependence on foreign food. Currently, we are seeing the negative effects of this dependence on food prices, unfortunately we are living it. From this point of view, agriculture has become a very serious security issue that needs urgent action.”
“THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE THE REQUIRED SUPPORT”
Pointing out that the government is not the solution to the problems of the farmers, Ekinci stated that the problems in agriculture have increased with the economic crisis and said, “The agricultural sector has been seriously damaged in the economic crisis that started before the coronavirus pandemic and deepened with the pandemic. Our farmer, who had a hard time due to the effects of improper farming policies and seasonal factors such as drought, turned his face to the state, but unfortunately the government could not provide the support that would cure our farmer's problems during this process.”
“SUPPORT IS CRUCIAL FOR OUR PEOPLE”
Emphasizing the farmers need to be supported, Ekinci stated that the Saadet Party stands by the farmers and added, “The agricultural sector is a country's security issue, its lifeblood. Supporting and encouraging farmers is of vital importance for our country and our people. As the Saadet Party, I would like to reiterate that we always stand by our farmers, and I would like to draw attention to the fact that the agricultural sector can never accept neglect.”
Ekinci called on the government to take steps that will remedy the problems of farmers.