TZOB: Cheese prices exceed meat prices

Şemsi Bayraktar, President of the Turkish Union of Agricultural Chambers (TZOB), assessed the latest developments in the agricultural and food sector and farmers’ market prices in November.

Bayraktar said: “Cost increases in meat and milk production make production unsustainable. In an environment where cheese prices exceed meat prices in some markets, we need to take urgent action for both the producer and the consumer.”

Bayraktar said: “Manufacturers should be able to produce more and consumers should be able to access food at low prices,” adding: “When our producers see the consumer prices of the products they produce, they are surprised. When he sees that the producer does not earn more but the intermediaries, he also distances himself from production”.

CALL TO CONSUMERS

Emphasizing that consumers also have a responsibility, Bayraktar said:

“Our consumers should question market prices more when buying products they use in daily life, including fruits and vegetables.

The same products of a brand can be sold at different prices in different outlets. It is possible to access this information even on the Internet.

Consumers must use their power to direct and intervene in product prices, and punish markets that sell products at exorbitant prices by not buying.”

IN NOVEMBER 29 OF 37 PRODUCTS ARE TIMED

Bayraktar also announced the price changes between the manufacturer and the market in November.

Bayraktar, who reported that the price difference between the producer and the market was 236.8 percent in November, said: “The price difference in lettuce is 210.5 percent for red lentils, 209.8 percent for apples, 180.6 percent for parsley, 180.3 percent for lettuce and zucchini, followed by carrots with 180 percent.

That is, lettuce was sold 3.4 times, red lentils and apples 3.1 times, parsley, zucchini and carrots 2.8 times more in November.

Bayraktar also claimed that 29 out of 37 products on the market in November saw a price increase, while only 8 products saw a price decrease.

THE HIGHEST INCREASE IN RICE AND PISTACHIO

The product whose price increased the most in the market was rice with 42.9 percent.

The increase in the price of rice was followed by green onions with 36.1 percent, pistachios with 33.1 percent, red lentils with 22.4 percent, dried apricots and tomatoes with 20 .9 percent.

The product whose price decreased the most in the market was lemon with 17.2%. Lettuce with 6.4 percent, chicken with 3.4 percent and corn oil with 1.6 percent followed the fall in the price of lemons.