Meat, milk, and chicken prices to burn pockets! A storm of price hikes on the table before Ramadan
Successive price hikes in basic food products before Ramadan have hit the dinner table; while milk has increased by over 41 percent in the last year, beef has exceeded the 1,000 TL threshold, and the price hike rate for chicken has surpassed 50 percent.
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Food prices, which have been rising relentlessly in Turkey every year, have become a nightmare for citizens ahead of Ramadan 2026. Hikes in basic products such as milk, meat, and chicken are deeply shaking the budgets of families, especially those with children. While an increase of over 41 percent has been observed in milk prices within a year, the price of the most affordable 1-liter milk in some markets has reached 50 TL.
ANNUAL INCREASE IN MILK EXCEEDS 41 PERCENT
While milk is among the basic necessities, it has become a difficult product to access. The rate of increase in milk prices over the last year was 41.4 percent. Following this price increase, daily milk, which was 56.50 TL in February 2025, began to be sold for 79.95 TL in February 2026, marking a 41.5 percent hike. Even in discount markets, prices are hovering at similar levels.
1,000 TL THRESHOLD EXCEEDED IN RED MEAT
Remarkable increases are also being experienced in red meat prices. The price of beef leg, which was 639 TL last year, has exceeded 1,000 TL within a year, reaching a new record. During the same period, while the price per kilogram of ground beef was 950 TL at butchers in December 2025, it approached 1,000 TL in January 2026. The price of cubed meat has increased by 56 percent in one year.
PRICE HIKES AND EXPORT BAN ON CHICKEN
Chicken meat has come to the fore not only with price increases but also due to rising demand. The Ministry of Trade has begun implementing an export ban on this product, citing extraordinary price increases. The price of a kilogram of chicken drumsticks, which was 99 TL in February 2025, reached the 150 TL level in February 2026 with a 51 percent hike.
PRODUCER COSTS REFLECTED IN PRICES
Another significant development occurred on the producer side. The cost increases recently experienced by milk producers are in the background of the prices reflected to consumers. According to the decision taken by the National Milk Council, as of January 22, 2026, the recommended selling price for raw cow's milk is 22.22 TL net per liter for the producer. According to the latest data announced in December 2025, the production cost of one liter of raw milk was 19.08 TL.