Seed producers warn: Tomato prices could rise from 50 to 250 liras
Yıldıray Gencer, President of the Seed Industrialists and Producers Sub-Union (TSÜAB), stated that while seed industrialists strongly support local varieties, he warned that if production were entirely based on heirloom seeds with lower yields, the price of tomatoes, currently at 50 liras, could rise to 250 liras.
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Holding a press conference before an iftar dinner for sector representatives and bureaucrats, Yıldıray Gencer made statements regarding what he calls 'common misconceptions in the seed sector.'
Stating that seed industrialists engage in R&D to produce high-yield and efficient seeds, Gencer noted that, contrary to public perception, they are not against local varieties. Pointing out that the Seed Producers Union of Turkey, of which he is also a board member, has so far secured 400 local varieties from across Turkey into its gene bank, Yıldıray Gencer said, “Local varieties are products specific to their geography. Therefore, the same product cannot be used everywhere in the country, and even if it were, it would not be efficient.” Emphasizing that the uncontrolled distribution of seeds could lead to other dangerous problems, Yıldıray Gencer added, “Using only heirloom seeds in production would lead people to hunger. We already use heirloom seeds as genetic resources. If all production were done with heirloom seeds, we would be eating the tomatoes we buy for 50 liras today at 250 liras.”
Stating that they have been struggling for years against claims that Turkey's seed industry is dependent on Israel, but feel they have not been able to explain the issue to the public sufficiently, Yıldıray Gencer said, “This is a complete urban legend; our seed industry is not dependent on Israel.”
Providing information that seeds are exported to Israel just as they are imported from there, Yıldıray Gencer remarked, “In the seed industry, we utilize the entire world by taking appropriate climatic conditions into account. For example, there is a special region in Chile that is free from all diseases; a product produced for 100 dollars elsewhere is produced for 300 dollars there, but this region is also used.”
Gencer also provided information that one of the two largest seed companies in Israel is a Chinese company, and the other is a French company.
Stating that there are also misconceptions regarding GMOs in Turkey, Yıldıray Gencer noted that the use of GMO products is not permitted in our country except for animal feed. Emphasizing that there are very strict rules in this area and that prison sentences of up to 12 years are imposed for GMOs in food, Gencer said,
“Hybrid technology is being confused with GMOs. With hybrid technology, we take the best traits and crossbreed them. They are distorting this issue, whether knowingly or unknowingly.”
Providing information that the seed industry has achieved significant success in foreign trade and closed last year with 326 million dollars in exports against 249 million dollars in imports, Yıldıray Gencer mentioned that their goal is to exceed the billion-dollar threshold in exports. Gencer explained that the decision taken to cooperate on common legislation with the Organization of Turkic States would bring the sector closer to this goal.