CHP Deputy Chairman Erhan Adem: “If the farmer does not produce, Turkey loses”

Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman responsible for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Erhan Adem, met with farmers and livestock breeders in the Karapınar district of Konya to examine the problems in the agriculture and livestock sector on-site. Emphasizing that producers are being crushed by input costs and that the injustice in milk and meat prices is unsustainable, Adem called on the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, stating, “Instead of imports, policies that support the producer must be implemented. If the farmer does not produce, Turkey loses.”

'PRODUCERS CANNOT EARN, AGRICULTURE IS AT A BREAKING POINT'

As part of their visit to Karapınar, the CHP delegation met with the President of the Chamber of Agriculture, Durmuş Öner, to listen to the difficulties experienced by producers in the region. Stating that farmers have become unable to produce due to high costs and low purchase prices, Erhan Adem used the following expressions:

“We are in Karapınar. We met with milk producers, livestock breeders, and farmers. The scene is heartbreaking. Our farmers are practically suffocating under basic expenses such as feed, fertilizer, diesel, and electricity. Despite this, they cannot sell the milk and meat they produce at their deserved value. The prices announced by the National Dairy Council are not being applied, and producers are receiving much lower figures. Those engaged in livestock breeding are in a similar impasse. While input costs increase every day, they are forced to sell their animals at a loss. Most producers have reached the point of giving up livestock farming. Under these conditions, the farmer has no strength left to endure.”

“THE MINISTRY SHOULD GET INTO THE FIELD AND SEE THE FARMER'S CONDITION'

Stating that one of the biggest problems of producers is agricultural irrigation, Adem said that the water crisis in Karapınar and the Konya Plain seriously threatens production and continued as follows:

“Our farmers are forced to draw water from a depth of 100-150 meters. Along with rising electricity prices, this situation puts the producer in an even more difficult position. Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry must leave their private meeting rooms and get into the field to see the real problems of the farmer. They must see the problems on-site and produce solutions.

First of all, the import of agricultural products and meat must be stopped, and support must be given to the domestic producer. Cost-effective input support should be provided to the farmer, and a fair market order where the producer can earn a profit must be established. If these steps are not taken, the farmer will stop production and our country will be dragged into a food crisis. Urgent measures need to be taken for the farmer to survive. An agricultural policy that ignores the producer is unsustainable.”