Why has Turkey become poor in red meat?

The rise in red meat prices remains a hot topic in Turkey and will continue to be so. There are two approaches regarding how prices can be lowered.

Some, mainly those involved in the red meat trade and meat industrialists, are in favor of imports. They claim their primary goal is to provide cheaper meat to the public.

I did not know that the merchant class loved our people so much; I apologize.

Others state that meat imports cannot be the solution to the problem, and that only the import lobby and Westerners will benefit from it.

HAS IMPORTING BEEN A SOLUTION?

Let us first look at how much has been imported so far.

In Turkey, we have imported 11 billion 357 million 207 thousand dollars worth of livestock and meat from 2010 to June 2024.

In 14 years, we brought in 6.8 million head of cattle and 3.1 million head of small ruminants as livestock. We imported 373 thousand 352 tons of carcass meat.

It is stated that our national income is expected to exceed 1.3 trillion dollars by the end of 2024.

I wonder, what share of our national income is allocated solely to animal and meat imports?

If you wish, let us also calculate the budget allocated to imports so far in Turkish Lira.

If we make an assessment based on the exchange rate on November 28, 2024, the money we have allocated to livestock and meat imports, or the money we have paid to foreigners, has exceeded 393 billion 527 million TL.

Despite all this, meat prices did not fall with imports.

When imports began, a kilo of carcass meat was 10-12 liras; it is currently about to exceed 350-400 liras.

Prices for quality meat like lamb chops have long since passed 1000 liras.

In short, contrary to what was claimed, as imports increased, meat prices rose even further.

Because prices are high, millions of people have become unable to access red meat. Because the animal population has not increased per capita.

Let me give you a figure: While there was one sheep per person forty years ago, in 2024 there is one sheep for every four people.

To provide healthy answers to these, it is necessary to briefly examine how we arrived at these days.

WHY HAS TURKEY BECOME POOR IN RED MEAT?

• The West, the US/EU, creates more agricultural stocks and inputs than it needs by excessively exploiting nature. To find markets for these, they destroy the agriculture of surrounding countries, and continue to do so. To destroy them, they lower the World Market Prices of agricultural products, and then use organizations like the World Trade Organization and the World Bank to impose imports on surrounding countries.

• How were neoliberal policies applied in Turkish Agriculture? State-owned agricultural enterprises were privatized. Agricultural products were imported under the pretext of disciplining the domestic market. Instability and insufficiency were created in subsidies.

Insufficient subsidies were not used for small and medium-sized enterprises, which make up the vast majority of producers, but rather for the creation of giant enterprises or in favor of very limited large enterprises, and this process continues.

• The reflection of these policies on animal production was as follows: Cattle breeding was prioritized in subsidies.

Because the West had extraordinary cattle products and the cattle stocks that created them. Sheep and goat breeding were ignored.

• When cattle stocks in the West became unbearable again, milk powders produced from cow's milk are marketed to Turkey directly or indirectly as calf formula. When industrialists turn to these, raw milk prices fall. In the last 20 years, millions of breeding cattle have been sent to the butcher.

As a result, the number of animals per unit of population did not increase, because our farmers who make a living from animal husbandry were forced to move away from agriculture because they could not make money.

The fact that sheep and goats have decreased by almost half in the meat deficit has also been one of the main factors.

As a result, red meat production has started to sound the alarm.

IS THERE A SOLUTION?

No one should chase after daily solutions. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry should also determine what it will do. Sometimes it is said that preparations are being made for meat imports, and other times it is said that we are not thinking about imports, or that the import of feeder calves might be on the agenda. Can there be such a policy?

There is a solution;

“The neoliberal policies applied in agriculture must be abandoned.

Reopen the privatized and some closed state-owned agricultural enterprises; the Milk Industry Institution, Feed Industry, Wool and Mohair Joint Stock Company. Make the Meat and Milk Institution functional.

Stop the National Milk Council and National Meat Council from being mere ornaments.

Make regulations that will increase the share of sheep and goat breeding in animal production. Because Turkey's pastures are suitable for sheep and goats, and especially the East and Southeast are perfect regions for sheep farming.

Give importance to animal breeding studies. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry should conduct joint breeding studies with universities.

Absolutely and definitely do not turn to imports for agricultural products. Seek remedies for the pressures brought by the World Trade Organization. For example, raise quality standards.

Give the budget you allocate to imports to animal breeders as support for feed, diesel, electricity, water, etc.” I say.

Final word, imports are not the solution.

It creates dependency. Just like opium or cannabis. Dependency must be opposed.

This is the meaning of being modern and being a decent person.