Butchers' Chamber President: 'Red meat is the cheapest product in the food sector'

While red meat prices remain a constant topic of discussion in Turkey, Samsun Butchers' Chamber President Ömür Şen made notable statements regarding meat prices. Stating that he does not agree with the criticisms that prices are high, Şen argued that red meat is more affordable compared to other food products.

100 GRAMS OF MEAT AT A RESTAURANT IS EQUIVALENT TO 1 KILO AT A BUTCHER

Claiming that red meat is not expensive, Ömür Şen drew attention specifically to meat prices in restaurants. Şen said, "With the money spent on a 100-gram meat dish at an average restaurant, one can buy 1 kilo of red meat from a butcher. I can say that meat is the cheapest product in the food sector."

CURRENT STATUS OF RED MEAT PRICES

At butcher shops, meat prices are currently around 500 TL per kilo for ground meat, 530 TL for cubed meat, 440 TL for butcher meatballs, 650 TL for entrecote, 480 TL for bone-in meat, 610 TL for lamb leg, and 730 TL for lamb chops. Stating that prices have not changed for a long time and they do not foresee an increase, Şen said, "There is no difference between the prices before the Eid al-Adha and the current prices. No price hike is planned due to the fish season, the post-Eid period, and the decrease in circulation."

RED MEAT IS CHEAP

President Şen compared red meat prices with other food products and said the following:

"Meat prices have been stable for a long time. When you look at the prices of other food products, I can say that red meat is the cheapest. In the last 1-2 years, every product has seen price hikes of up to 300 percent. This applies not only to food but also to other sectors. Meat stands out as the cheapest food item both in Samsun and across Turkey."

Touching on what needs to be done for meat prices to fall, Şen said, "Meat prices will not fall, but for them to remain at this level, support must be given to villagers and livestock farmers. In particular, female cattle should not be slaughtered. Support should be provided for feed and straw, because costs are reflected on the farmer. If the farmer cannot earn enough, they quit livestock farming, and this situation affects butchers."

Expressing that electricity, water, rent, and labor costs are straining tradespeople, Şen said, "I pay 37 thousand TL in monthly electricity bills and 5 thousand TL for water in my 20-square-meter shop. I have 4 insured employees. I think the state should provide more support to tradespeople during this process."

WE WOULD LIKE TO SELL A KILO OF MEAT FOR 350 TL

Ömür Şen stated that as butchers, they would like to lower the price of meat to 350 TL, saying, "We butchers would like to sell a kilo of meat for 350 TL. If we sell cheap meat, more customers will come, and circulation will increase. However, I do not think the current prices are very high, and I do not expect a price hike in the near future."