Agriculture in Turkey from state-subsidized markets to imports: Even potatoes and onions are coming from abroad...

Former CHP Edirne Deputy and Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University Faculty of Agriculture Lecturer Assoc. Prof. Okan Gaytancıoğlu drew attention to the increase in agricultural product imports in the first 4 months of the year, based on data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK).

According to the report by Recep Genel from Sözcü; it was shown that red lentils, kidney beans, peas, chickpeas, almonds, hazelnuts, watermelons, potatoes, onions, and even olives are now being imported. A payment of 4.1 billion dollars was made for agricultural imports in the first 4 months. Turkey's total agricultural product imports remained at the 14 billion dollar level for the entirety of last year. The data for the first 4 months indicates that Turkey's imports will surpass last year's figures.

'WE USED TO FEED THE MIDDLE EAST'

Gaytancıoğlu said, “What is interesting is that these imported products are items that could once be easily and efficiently grown on our own lands. The main reason for the imports stems from the lack of a qualified agricultural policy and the failure to sufficiently support the producer. The fact that imports have now become constant, combined with the rise in foreign currency, causes you to become a country that cannot lower food inflation.” Stating that, “It wasn't long ago, in the 80s, that we boasted about building the Ereğli Iron and Steel facilities by selling tomatoes and peppers. We would pay off our foreign debt by selling wheat and barley. By the 90s, we would say we were feeding the Middle East by exporting live animals,” Gaytancıoğlu expressed that the agricultural law, which came into effect particularly in 2007, caused a complete devastation for farmers.

WE ARE EVEN BUYING SOYBEANS, WHEAT, CORN, WATERMELONS, AND CHERRIES

We had to make 794.1 million dollars in imports, primarily from Brazil, Ghana, and China, for soybeans (seeds, crude oil, meal), which Turkish farmers could easily grow on our own lands. Similarly, we had to pay 733.1 million dollars for sunflower seeds for oil, which we imported from Ukraine, Russia, and Bulgaria; and 695 million dollars for wheat we bought from Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova. Turkey, which once boasted of producing the world's most valuable cotton, is now importing 666.3 million dollars worth of cotton from the USA, Egypt, and Kyrgyzstan. We spent 297.6 million dollars to buy corn from Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova. We made a payment of 5.4 million dollars to Iran and Syria for watermelons. We spent 200 thousand dollars for cherry imports from Chile.

News Source: 12punto