Farmers from all over Turkey, met with President Erdogan in 'Farmers' meeting' which is held at the Presidental Complex before the General Assembly of Agricultural Credit Cooperatives.
In the 'Farmers Meeting', farmers' most important item, unfortunately did not come up to the agenda. As you know that the farmers using agricultural loans from Agricultural Credit Cooperatives, they have to use this loan with commercial interest rate. Although the farmer’s bleeding wound, unfortunately this issue is not on the agenda neither the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry nor the General Directorate of Agricultural Credit Cooperatives.
Although we have drawn attention to this problem over and over again, those responsible of the work, unfortunately played three monkeys. Acting as if there was no such problem, they have left the farmer to produce with high interest until now!
We were a little hopeful of the Farmers' Meeting at the Presidental Complex. At least as much as me and the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives partners from all corner of Turkey were looking forward to herald the good news in this regard. But unfortunately, it was a big disappointment. The issue of using credit with commercial interest, the biggest problem of the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives partners in no way even came to the agenda.
Before President Erdoğan's speech, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli and General Manager of Agricultural Credit Cooperatives Fahrettin Poyraz, although they made a speech but they never mention this basic problem. This problem should not be transferred to him President Erdoğan said nothing.
In fact, the solution to this problem, due to increasing input costs associated with crisis it was a great opportunity for the government that suffered a serious loss of reputation among the farmers. But 'Let's not go to the President with a problem!' due to the concern both the government missed this opportunity and the farmer will continue to lose! Of course, with the farmer also Turkey will lose!
On the other hand, in the 'Farmer's Meeting' President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's rate on the repayment of loans used by the farmer was remarkable. In 2018, 32 billion Turkish Liras through the Ziraat Bank to the farmers, through Agricultural Credit Cooperatives a total of 6.4 billion liras credit was released, Erdogan stated that the rate of return in these loans is 98, 99 percent, said that he cares about the rate, ‘My farmer does not lie on the loan, when the time comes, he pays,’ he said.
I think that President Erdoğan was misled here. Even the big companies have declared bankrupt's certificate due to the crisis, how is the return rate of loans used by farmers realized in the 98, 99 percent?
General Manager of Agricultural Credit Cooperatives, who gave this information to President Erdoğan, if he/she is really friendly at these rates, he/she should also explain how much the loan has been delayed. The amount of credit delayed will reveal the real situation of the farmer. Otherwise, using the 'Fill and Empty' method, on the paper the farmer could not pay the loan, showing as if he had re-used the loan delayed, we only have our problems swept under the carpet! Under the carpet is now over, gentlemen! It's not taking, it's grinning!