Ministry steps in: 150,000 shepherds cannot be found to work in Turkey...

Turkey, which has transitioned to a new support model to increase efficiency and quality in livestock farming, has a need for shepherds that has surpassed the labor shortages in many other professions.

According to a report by the Türkiye newspaper, based on the Open Job Statistics Research Results for the 2nd quarter of 2024 published by İŞKUR, the number of open positions was determined to be 99,991 in the manufacturing sector, 62,489 in the wholesale and retail trade sector, and 35,908 in the accommodation and food service activities sector. With a need for 150,000 shepherds, the livestock sector requires more personnel than all other sectors.

There are various applications in place, including employment support and training, to resolve the ongoing shepherd shortage despite high salaries. However, business owners struggling to find shepherds are trying to bridge this gap with foreign shepherds, primarily "Afghans." Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı stated that there are 400,000 active small ruminant livestock businesses in Turkey and said, "There is no obstacle to foreigners working, provided that the necessary legal procedures are fulfilled. Efforts to ensure the continuity of the employment of individuals with foreign status currently working in our country are continuing in cooperation with our ministry, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security." 

'150 THOUSAND SHEPHERDS MUST BE EMPLOYED'

Nihat Çelik, President of the Central Union of Sheep and Goat Breeders of Turkey (TÜDKİYEB), also stated that approximately 50,000 shepherds are currently working in Turkey and noted the following:

"It is essential for 150,000 shepherds to be employed to ensure sustainability in the sector. The shepherd problem still persists. We know that the ministries are working on this issue, and we request that these efforts be accelerated. In this context, we want domestic shepherding to be encouraged and the path for foreign shepherds to be cleared within the framework of legal regulations."

Minister Yumaklı noted that approximately 660 million liras in support payments have been made to more than 71,000 businesses to date under the 'herd manager employment support' program. This practice, which was launched in 2014, has been continuing for about 10 years. The support, which was 6,000 liras per shepherd in 2021, was increased to 12,000 liras in 2022 and 30,000 liras in 2023. Additionally, it was stated that certificates have been given to over 50,000 herd managers who completed their training to meet the need for qualified herd managers in 400,000 active small ruminant livestock businesses.

News Source: 12punto