CHP's Gürer: Meat, milk, and vegetables will not become cheaper with low agricultural subsidies

CHP Niğde Deputy Gürer drew attention to the fact that the debt burden on farmers continues in the first days of 2025 and that subsidies are insufficient. Gürer emphasized that the small amount of support given to farmers has melted away in the face of inflation, and that it is impossible for meat, milk, and vegetables to become cheaper with low subsidies.

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CHP's Gürer: Meat, milk, and vegetables will not become cheaper with low agricultural subsidies

CHP Niğde Deputy and member of the Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Affairs Committee, Ömer Fethi Gürer, recalled Article 21 of the Agriculture Law and "According to Article 21 of the Agriculture Law, one percent of the national income must be given to farmers. For 2025, this support should have been 615 billion liras. However, the support allocated to farmers remained at 135 billion liras" pointing out in his statement that the limited amount of support provided has melted away in the face of inflation. Gürer "Meat, milk, and vegetables will not become cheaper with low agricultural subsidies. Feed and fertilizer prices must be subsidized" he said.

Evaluating the agricultural sector in 2025 based on the resources allocated from the budget and bank debts, Gürer warned that the problems experienced in agriculture would deepen further while highlighting the debt burden of farmers and the insufficiency of subsidies.

"DEBT HAS EXCEEDED 800 BILLION LIRAS"

CHP Niğde Deputy Ömer Fethi Gürer drew attention to the debt burden of farmers in his statement, saying, "Our farmers entered 2025 with 784 billion liras in bank loan debt. Including debts to the market, this figure exceeds 800 billion. We have around 2.3 million farmers registered in the Farmer Registration System (ÇKS). There is not a single farmer who is not in debt." he said.

Stating that despite this picture, the government has not provided sufficient support to the agricultural sector, Gürer pointed to Article 21 of the Agricultural Law:

"According to Article 21 of the Agricultural Law, one percent of the national income must be given to farmers. For 2025, this support should have been 615 billion liras. However, the support allocated to farmers remained at 135 billion liras. According to Presidential data, the agricultural support budget for 2025 is planned as follows: 20 billion TL for diesel, 8 billion 281 million TL for fertilizer, 2 billion 352 million TL for the use of certified seeds and saplings, 901 million TL for hazelnuts, 2 billion TL for tea pruning compensation and expenses, 32 billion 489 million TL for grain and pulse deficiency payments, 2 billion 500 million TL for tea, 7 billion 337 million TL for products with supply deficits such as seed cotton, table olives, sunflower, soybeans, canola, grain corn, and safflower, 27 billion 150 million TL for livestock support payments, 10 billion 200 million TL for rural development agricultural support, 20 billion TL for Agricultural Insurance support, and 724 million TL for other agricultural purposes including certified sapling and seed production, agricultural extension consultancy, farm accounting data network, R&D, licensed warehousing, agricultural irrigation electricity support, and agricultural irrigation water usage service fee support, totaling 135 billion TL. A total of 480 billion TL has been cut from the 615 billion TL that should have been provided according to the Agricultural Law. Not only is the support not provided on time, but when divided among farmers and livestock breeders, the figures turn out to be very low. The subsidy provided for a calf is not even enough to buy two bags of 50-kilo dairy feed. The figures do not make sense when distributed across the board. The subsidy for wheat, the harvest of which was completed in August 2024, has not yet been paid. It is said that it will be paid in March 2025. In this case, the support is eroded by inflation and provides no benefit. Meat, milk, and vegetables will not become cheaper in agriculture with low subsidies. Feed and fertilizer prices must be subsidized."

"TAX ON DIESEL IS HIGH, SUBSIDY IS LOW"

Gürer emphasized that the diesel subsidy for farmers is also insufficient and added, "In 2025, the only support provided to farmers from the budget for fuel is 20 billion liras. In other words, the diesel subsidy is 20 billion liras. However, more than twice this amount is collected from farmers in the form of SCT and VAT," he said. Gürer added, "The farmer says, 'Do not give us the 20 billion lira diesel subsidy. Remove the SCT and VAT on diesel.' The agricultural sector consumes an average of 3-3.5 billion liters of diesel per year and pays nearly 50 billion in taxes. When this is the case, the subsidy on diesel does not mean support at all." he stated.

"PURCHASE PRICES SHOULD NOT BE BELOW INFLATION"

He also noted that farmers are concerned about the low purchase prices applied by the TMO due to tight monetary policy. Gürer said that this situation would lead to new problems in production. Gürer stated, "In 2024, production in cereals alone was 3 million 400 thousand tons lower than projected. Production losses arising from various reasons can cause new problems when low purchase prices are applied. For this year, public purchase prices must absolutely not remain below inflation." he said.

CHP Niğde Deputy Ömer Fethi Gürer stated that rising input costs have left farmers in a difficult situation. Explaining how the increase in input costs affects farmers with examples, Gürer said, "With the recent hikes in fertilizer, farmers have also reduced their fertilizer usage. Fertilizer prices are constantly rising. The price of DAP fertilizer, which was 2,140 TL per ton in 2020, started at 18,350 TL in 2024 and ended at 24,700 TL. The hike in one year has multiplied the 2020 price. As for Urea fertilizer, while it was 1,860 TL per ton in 2020, it started 2024 at 12,600 TL per ton and finished 2024 at 17,250 TL. How will food prices fall when the prices of the most used base and top fertilizers increase this much? Even when the farmer sows the seeds into the soil, the input price has already multiplied compared to the previous year. As pesticides, seeds, fertilizer, diesel, field rent, electricity, and labor costs increase, the rise in input costs disrupts the farmer's income-expenditure balance. Costs are multiplying. Low purchase price policies are also suffocating the farmer." he said.

FEED PRICES ARE NOT STOPPING EITHER

Pointing out that the AK Party government has continued meat and livestock imports, which it started in 2010, despite constantly promising to "end them" and that it has been announced that imports will continue in 2025, Gürer said, "Those engaged in livestock farming are also complaining about the constant hikes in feed prices. Unless the prices of feed for meat and dairy producers are subsidized and domestic livestock farming is developed instead of imports, the problems will not end, and meat will not become cheaper; if it continues like this, problems in the dairy sector will also multiply. The ones who suffer are those engaged in livestock farming and those buying products from the shelf, while the profits go to the middlemen and importers in between." multiplies" he said.

"INSUFFICIENT SUBSIDIES MAKE PRODUCTION DIFFICULT"

Stating that farmers are struggling with production due to insufficient subsidies, Gürer said, "The government must provide realistic and sufficient support to farmers. The insufficiency of subsidies makes it difficult for the farmer to produce. If sufficient support is not given to the farmer in 2025, another difficult year awaits the producer, the farmer, and the livestock breeder. There can be no solution without acknowledging the existence of the problem in agriculture. Food prices will not fall with this mentality." he warned.

News Source: 12punto