YENİ Party Chairman Özgür Özel addresses fig producers in Bursa: Farmers' diesel will be free of SCT and VAT

YENİ Party Chairman Özgür Özel met with fig producers in Fadıllı Village as part of his contacts in Bursa. Listening to the producers' complaints regarding fuel, input costs, and fluctuations in product prices, Özel stated that diesel is one of the most critical items in agricultural production.

Producers who stopped Özel at the entrance of the village showed a crate of figs and a liter of gasoline they brought with them, reacting to fuel price hikes with the words, "A crate of figs doesn't buy a liter of gasoline. This is the point we have reached at the end of the day." Showing a 100-lira banknote, Özel said, "On the day the 100-lira note was first issued, we could buy 40 liters of diesel. Now they give one liter for 100 lira. A loss of 39 liters."

While one of the producers stated that they could not sell their milk without giving it to intermediaries, another farmer drew attention to feed and fuel costs. Emphasizing that the agenda of the meeting was figs and the problems of the producers, Özel did not allow the conversation to drift to different political topics.

EMPHASIS ON COOPERATIVES FOR PRODUCERS

Özel stated that his party has encountered similar problems with tea, hazelnuts, grapes, and other products in different cities. Arguing that the bargaining power of the producer has weakened, Özel claimed that in some areas, a small number of companies impose prices and quotas.

Explaining the difference between last year's prices and this year's prices for figs, Özel said that the product found buyers below the expected level and sometimes fell below the cost. Stating that the cost, including harvesting, can exceed 70-80 lira, Özel expressed that the producer loses money when sales are made below this level.

Pointing to cooperatives as a solution, Özel said that producers should act together to increase their bargaining power. Özel expressed the importance of establishing structures where the producer will have a say in the storage, processing, and marketing of products.

Touching on food inflation, Özel argued that although Turkey is a strong country in agricultural production, it is facing high food prices today. Stating that food inflation in Europe is at very low levels, Özel noted that the lack of support for producers in Turkey affects not only the farmer but also the consumer.

In his speech, Özel described the effect of diesel prices on agricultural production with these words: "Where 1 kilo of figs bought 4 liters of diesel last year; if you cannot buy 1 liter of diesel by selling 2 kilos of figs now, if the price of figs has melted 8 times against diesel, nothing will happen. First of all, the diesel used by the farmer will get cheaper, it will be free of SCT and VAT so that the most important input cost will decrease."

Touching on the allegations of highway privatizations in Bursa, Özel said that the increase in transportation costs would be reflected in vegetable and fruit prices. Stating that the voice of the producer should be heard, Özel said, "Let those who love Fadıllı, who love the villagers, who love their country hear the voice of this farmer and make it heard to Turkey."