Tevfik Keskin, Chairman of the Turkish Dairy Producers Central Union (TSÜMB), stated that the National Dairy Council never calculated the cost of milk according to the minimum wage and said, “We have a cost table and a parity calculation. Industrialists and sector representatives try to come to an agreement on this. If there is no agreement, the state acts as an arbitrator.”
Keskin held a press conference and made evaluations about the recent increase in milk prices. Expressing that the 47 percent increase in raw milk prices made by the National Dairy Council, effective on December 8, is tried to manipulate in the public, Keskin explained that this increase in the milk of the producer is tried to be shown as the sole responsible for the milk prices up to 15 Turkish Liras (TL) on the market shelves. Keskin stated that although the raw milk prices were increased to 4,7 TL by the National Dairy Council, the producer received an average of 4,5 TL due to the cooling cost, he explained that in the date of the 47 percent increase determined, the cost of 1 liter milk for the manufacturer was 4,09 TL.
THE COST OF A SACK OF FORAGE INCREASED TO 250 TL
When the figures are compared, Keskin said that although milk prices have increased by 47 percent, it will be seen that the producer has nothing left to do, “As milk producers, We couldn't enjoy with the 47 percent increase even for a single day. The next day, forage prices increased by 25 TL per sack. Today, a sack of forage costs 250 TL. According to these forage prices, the cost of 1 liter of milk to the producer is 5,28 lira. Although milk prices were increased by 47 percent on December 8, our producer is currently producing at a loss. For this reason, either the support needs to be increased or the National Dairy Council needs to reconvene and revise milk prices as of January 1," he added.