Milli Gazete is breaking the big game in fertilizer. Under the pretext of the exchange rate and foreign markets, fertilizer prices increased 6-7 times in a year, and farmers were officially pushed away from fertilizer.
The hikes in fertilizer prices went beyond the exorbitant price increases and turned into a big hit.
While the prices of flour, sugar and oil are closely followed on the market shelves, the silence of the farmer's big hit on manure, which is one of the most important inputs in agricultural production, raises the question of 'Why?'.
UREA FERTILIZER IS IMPORTED AT 344 DOLLAR AVERAGE
It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, while using Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTATS) data in all its statistical explanations, does not see the big emphasis on manure registered in TURKSTATS.
According to TURKSTATS data, Turkey imported 2,221,000 tons of urea fertilizer in the January-October 2021 period, while the average ton price of imported urea fertilizer was 344 dollars.
While most imports of urea fertilizer were made from Oman, this country was followed by Egypt, Turkmenistan and Iran, respectively.
IT IS ONE OF THE MAIN FERTILIZERS USED BY FARMERS
While Turkey's annual need for urea fertilizer is 3 million tons, 2.5 million tons of this is used in agriculture and 500,000 tons in industry. Although some companies produce urea fertilizer in the domestic market, Turkey meets most of its needs through imports.
THE PRICE INCREASED FROM 1,800 TL TO 16,000 TL IN 1 YEAR!
Urea fertilizer, whose ton was sold at 1,800 TL/ton last year, increased to 8,000 liras in August and September this year, citing the pandemic and price increases in European countries. Using the increase in the exchange rate as an excuse after October, its price reached 16,000 liras, breaking a historical record.
IT WAS AT $400 LEVEL UNTIL SEPTEMBER
While the price of imported urea fertilizer was around 400 dollars until September, it is observed that the prices increased slightly in October. However, even based on the average import figures of $500 in October, the fact that urea fertilizer is sold to the farmer for more than $1000 shows that the fertilizer lobby is making huge profits on the farmer.
With the decrease in the exchange rates, fertilizer companies recently announced that they have reduced the prices of fertilizers, which actually shows that these discounts are just an illusion, according to TURKSTATS data. Despite the discounts, urea fertilizer continues to be sold for over 1,000 dollars in all companies, especially Gübretaş.
WHY CAN'T THIS LOBBY BE TOUCHED?
While the government is struggling against the exorbitant price increases in food, it draws attention to why the silence on fertilizers took place in front of everyone.
While the big hit brought the fertilizer lobby to the agenda, the government's not touching this lobby contradicts the struggle with the exorbitant price increases on the market shelves.
WHERE IS THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND AGRICULTURE STANDS IN THIS LOBBY?
The fact that the General Directorate of Crop Production at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is affiliated to Deputy Minister Ayşe Ayşin Işıkgece and that Işıkgece's husband is directly related to the holding, to which Turkey's leading fertilizer company is affiliated, also reveals the influence of the fertilizer lobby in the Ministries.