Is there anyone who hears the farmer's voice?

In the Kınık district of İzmir, producers of tomatoes for paste rebelled against the reduction of the price of tomatoes to 1.8 TL per kilogram and took action with their tractors. In Salihli, Manisa, three partner producers distributed 600 tons of melons to the public for free. Protesting the fact that they were offered 200-300 thousand TL for a product with a production cost of 1.5 million TL, they said, "If that's the case, let the public benefit," and distributed their products free of charge. In Malatya, apricot producers protested low prices, while in Bursa, five thousand producers gathered with their tractors in the Karacabey area and blocked the highway to protest the low prices for tomatoes intended for paste. While citizens buy vegetables at exorbitant prices from the market during the season, farmers from all four corners of Turkey are rebelling against low prices that do not even cover their costs.

From producers to industrialists, everyone is complaining about the problems. They complain that in Turkey's agricultural policies, the opinions of producers, farmers, exporters, industrialists—in short, the stakeholders of this business and those who know this business—are not taken, and that no proper planning is done.

The problems of the producer have piled up like mountains. You can only learn the answer to the question, "Why is there no tendency for farming among the youth?" from a young person who inherited fields from their farmer father. Although not quite young, a friend of mine in his mid-40s described the experiences he had with the crops in the fields inherited from his father with great distress. After harvesting the crop from a field with five thousand planted early-variety plum trees, they sold it at a loss because the price they received from intermediaries did not cover the water, fertilizer, electricity, and diesel costs. So much so that he says, "We already had a week or ten days to sell the early plums. We were forced to get rid of them." He adds, "Sooner or later, we will either rent out or sell the field." Another young producer says, "There is no planning at all." He says, "Last year we planted tomatoes everywhere, it was profitable, but this year all the tomatoes were left in our hands. Probably next year less will be planted, and it will be expensive." Try to figure that one out if you can...

However, the information in the Farmer Registration System (ÇKS) is provided by the Ministry of Agriculture to the Provincial Directorates of Agriculture. In other words, how many decares of land a farmer has and what they plant is on record. They say that while it could very easily be planned which product will be planted and where it will be sold, there is a disorder. While there are producers who have no choice but to plant and harvest their fields, on the other hand, they state that farmers who are second-generation producers prefer not to plant because products are sold at a loss during this period, and they invest their savings in currency-protected deposit accounts or interest instead of fields. There are even those who prefer this path rather than dealing with hail, storms, and rain and having nightmares. It is painful but true. In the end, they agree that the producer should not be alienated from production.

As for the industrialists who take the crop from the field, process it, and sell it... The problems there have also piled up like mountains. The restrictions imposed on exports and the quotas applied to tomato paste did not lower inflation as expected, but instead caused stocks in the hands of exporters to increase, damaged their relationships with customers, and led to tomatoes for paste being left in the field this year or sold at a low price like 2 TL. How, you ask? Let's review the process that took place.

It takes 3-4 years for an exporter of dried tomatoes and tomato paste to find customers in the market, establish a network of relationships, and build trust. Tomato paste exporters, who mostly do contract manufacturing, are preferred by EU countries due to the advantage of being logistically close to Europe and producing high-quality goods. Actually, it would be more accurate to say they were preferred until recently.

The quotas and limitations introduced in Turkey with the aim of lowering shelf prices did not lower the prices of products, but also caused great damage to customer relationships based on long-term trust and sustainability. While there is tomato paste export from China, Iran, and Egypt at 600-700 dollars per ton, the fact that the industrialist in Turkey is selling at a thousand dollars with stock costs shows that they have also lost their price advantage. When asked what the solution is, they say, "The Ministry needs to provide a subsidy of 200-300 dollars so that stocks can be depleted." Another suggestion is for the ministry to set a floor price for tomatoes for paste. That is, to determine a price for tomatoes for paste that will not victimize the producer. While crate tomatoes in the field are between 5-6 TL and even 7 TL depending on the region, dried tomatoes are 4 TL. When it comes to the market, you cannot find them for less than 30-35 TL. While the price of watermelon in the field is 2 TL per kilogram, it is at least 10 TL in the market. Both the producer and the consumer are victims. What kind of order is this? In fact, this disorder is beyond comprehension. It seems there is no one who does not mention the opportunists in between... There is a picture where a certain segment earns a lot, while the producer who suffers and works hard all year is the victim.

Is the problem only with tomatoes for paste? Of course not. The export ban on sunflower oil did not ensure that the price of oil fell either. Everyone is troubled. Considering that logistics and transportation are very costly, serious planning seems to be a must. Young producers are having difficulty continuing the farming inherited from their fathers. Farmers want a solution to be found for this issue. For the attention of the authorities.