The toll of the disease may reflect as price hikes on meat and dairy products: 'In 2-3 months'

Kayseri Red Meat Producers Association President Ercan Aras stated that producers have been suffering gradual losses due to foot-and-mouth disease.

Ercan Aras said, "As you know, foot-and-mouth disease first entered our country in May. Despite quarantine measures being taken, unfortunately, it spread first to our eastern provinces, then gradually to Central Anatolia, the Marmara Region, and in fact, to all regions of Turkey.

This disease has emerged as a very major illness that we have not encountered before, or more accurately, one that people of our age and producers have not encountered. Our Ministry accelerated vaccination. It produced around 4 million doses of vaccine and vaccination began all over Turkey. Vaccination started, but unfortunately, our producers suffered greatly before the vaccine arrived. There were many losses in this disease.

Milk yield dropped by around 70 percent, mortality rates increased in meat breeds, and there was a decline of approximately 10-15 percent in meat production. There was a 40 percent loss in animal productivity. In other words, our producers suffered huge losses step by step. Nationwide, our producers suffered a loss of approximately 4 billion dollars. Currently, animal movement restrictions are being lifted in provinces that have reached an 80-85 percent vaccination rate in Turkey's regions. Animal restrictions had been initiated for this precaution. The restriction is being lifted gradually, and animal movement in Turkey will slowly begin," he said.

"MORTALITY RATES CONTINUE AT A VERY HIGH DOSE"

Aras, stating that foot-and-mouth disease should be declared a natural disaster, said, "The disease has not ended; it is still ongoing. Mortality rates continue at a very high dose. While it has stopped to some extent in places where vaccination has occurred, it continues in other regions. Vaccination is being carried out intensively. Unfortunately, we are encountering a recurring disease for the second time even in our vaccinated animals.

It is either mutating or the disease is changing itself and taking another form. Because we hear from many of our producers; 'I vaccinated once or twice, the disease came back.' Of course, this disease does not come as severely; it comes with its intensity and violence reduced, but the disease is currently on our agenda.

There are extreme losses. As I just mentioned, while milk yield has dropped by 70 percent and meat yield in animals by around 40 percent, our producers have a loss of around 4 billion dollars.

We think the following should be done; for 2-3 months, our banks have not been giving loans to our producers because there is no animal movement. Our producers are in a very difficult situation. Our banks must now provide their loans. Our state must urgently issue a declaration like a disaster, it must take a measure. Just as there were forest fires and a disaster area was declared, a very major disaster has occurred over our producers, and they have been caused very great damage," he expressed.

"WE THINK MEAT PRICES WILL RISE"

Stating that the disease could cause problems in meat supply in the coming period, Aras said, "Producers with high mortality rates must be identified, and support must be given to them urgently. We must keep our producers standing. We know producers who have 60-70 animals and lost 20-30 of them.

These producers must be supported, protected, and we must keep our producers standing. Approximately 10-15 percent of our producers across Turkey have withdrawn from production due to this disease.

Currently, 60-70 percent of our producers' farms are empty. They are not buying animals and putting them into fattening both because they are afraid of the disease and because they are not filling their farms for fattening due to the lack of animal movement.

This situation, of course, makes us think that there will be very major problems in meat supply in 2-3 months. We think that meat prices will rise. To take precautions against this situation, our producers must be supported.

Our producers' losses must be covered. A real and accurate analysis must be made. Our producers' losses and expenses, and loss of productivity must be calculated; it must be evaluated on a producer basis," he said.