500 million lira sign change at Agricultural Credit Cooperative markets: 'More concerned with saving the sign than the farmer'

CHP Deputy Chairman responsible for Agriculture and Forestry Policies, Erhan Adem, reacted to the sign change. Adem issued a written statement. “The real problem with Agricultural Credit is that it does not operate in accordance with its founding purpose and does not support the farmer,” he said.

Reminding that Agricultural Credit Cooperative Markets incurred an operating loss of 1.5 billion lira in the first six months of this year and paid 1.5 billion lira in interest during the same period, Adem stated the following:

''Farmers cannot sell their products and are dumping them on the streets. But you are changing signs. What kind of management approach is this? While public austerity measures are being implemented, and at a time when farmers are going through difficult days and experiencing major problems in agricultural production, spending 500 million lira to change the signs of 2,500 markets is nothing but squandering the farmers' resources. Should the money of a cooperative stuck in a swamp of interest be spent on changing signs, or on supporting the farmer? This is a disrespect to the farmer's sweat.”

'MANAGEMENT APPROACH IS CONCERNED WITH SAVING THE SIGN, NOT THE FARMER'

“Farmers cannot get the return on their labor, cannot sell their products, and products left in the fields go to waste. But the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives management is busy with sign changes instead of dealing with the real problems of the farmer. This management approach is concerned with saving the sign, not the farmer.”

“In this period when the public is implementing austerity measures and we are struggling with an economic crisis, the fact that Agricultural Credit Cooperatives allocate resources for a 500 million lira sign change clearly shows how the farmers' money is being wasted. The farmer's money should not be spent on sign changes, but on developing agricultural production and alleviating the farmer's debt burden. This irresponsible management approach of the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives must end immediately. These expenditures, which mock the farmer's sweat, are unacceptable.” 

News Source: 12punto