Yesterday was "World Food Day", and the agenda was problems in food supply... After a long break, the National Dairy Council (USK) increased the raw purchase recommendation price and increased the price to 8 Turkish Liras (TL) and 50 kurus. However, this price did not please the manufacturers. The producers, who state that the cost of a kilo of milk is over 10 TL, say that they are making a loss. On the market shelves, the price of milk is well above the recommended price of USK. A kilo of raw milk with the highest protein value is bought from the producer for 9 TL, but a liter of milk is sold in markets for at least 18 TL. Dairy producers and breeders from different regions of Turkey announced that they will not sell their products until a price is determined above their costs, and they will go on strike yesterday, which is World Food Day. The farmers explained the reason for the strike to ANKA News Agency:
“WE WANT AN INTERNATIONAL PARITY, THAT'S OUR RIGHT”
"We will try to make our voices heard until the price of our meat and milk gains value," said Yakup Konan, a producer from Kahramanmaraş. “On October 16, World Food Day, we are in search of rights. The price of milk could not be determined for two months. The Dairy Council determined the price of 8 TL and 50 kurus. Most places are left to their own initiative. USK cannot use its own initiative, all ministries have started to intervene in meat and milk. When we calculate from the lowest feed price, our milk should be 10 TL at the moment. Meat and Dairy Authority does not raise the price of meat at the moment. When we sell two kilos of meat, we should be able to buy a bag of feed. Currently, the bag of fattening feed is 300 TL. In order for the breeder to save himself, there must be a base price of 120 TL. Inflation is overwhelming us. Diesel and fertilizers were increased by up to 300 percent. October 16 Food Day is an important day, but we, the breeders, cannot celebrate. We will start that day. Diesel and fertilizers were increased by up to 300 percent within a year. Rise came for roughage. Clover, this year 4,000 TL. The straw we mow from our own field costs us 1,000 TL. Since the roughage is too high, we see the parity as inevitable. Two years ago, we said, 'The food crisis is coming,' and nobody listened to us. We are looking for our right. We want an international parity, this is our right,” he added.
“THE VALUE OF MY MILK HAS BEEN TRAMPLED ON”
Ferit Bayram, from Çaylı Neighborhood in Bursa Nilüfer District, said, “I am trying to produce milk under very difficult conditions by making losses every day. With the price announced by USK, the value of my milk has been trampled on. One day, maybe we will have money in our pockets, but the shelves in the markets will be empty and we will be in a situation where we will not be able to find milk.”
“WE DO NOT CUT OUR ANIMALS”
Another producer from Samsun stated that he ignored the voices of the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Vahit Kirişci, and said, “We do not cut our animals. We do not give animals after October 16.”
“YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A MATHEMATICS PROFESSOR. WE CANNOT GET OUT OF THIS DEADLOCK UNTIL THE COST REDUCES”
Davut Battal, from Samsun's Çarşamba district, stated that he had to cut most of his animals and said, “Since 1998, we have been in this business. we were in until the Eid-al-Adha, we saw that this business will make us die, we slaughtered all the calves. There is no need to be a math professor here. As long as these input costs do not decrease, we cannot get out of this deadlock. Cows giving 20-25 kilos of milk were slaughtered. I wear my coat for 5 years, but this throat will eat every day. We are a hard industry. If your father dies, first you will feed the calf, and then you will go and cry for your father. There is no wedding or holiday in this business. Why are you making us offended, brother?”
“WE ARE NOT THE CAUSE AND RESULT OF INFLATION”
Ferit Hodoğlugil, from Hodoğlu village in Konya's Cihanbeyli district, said, “I call on all producers to unite. The price announced by USK is not even the cost of this work. In order for this business to continue, a fair price must be obtained. Meat should be 120 TL and milk 10 TL. Otherwise we have to sell the animals. We are not the cause nor the effect of inflation.”