Peasant rebellion ‘We are not dead, we are crawling’

CHP Niğde MP Ömer Fethi Gürer listened to farmers’ problems during his visits to towns and villages.

Gürer’s “Minister for Agriculture and Forestry says that ‘our farmers are very happy’. Do any of you farm and are you happy? Asked by the farmers, the farmers replied: “We are not dead, we are crawling.”

The growers, who stated that they could not understand the fact that the potato, which they sold to the merchant for 3-4 lira in the field, was 15 lira on the shelves, said: “How is this, that you are eating our right ?” they asked.

‘WE HAVE REACHED THE POINT OF LEAVING AGRICULTURE’

The response given by the farmers who had a problem with Gürer was like a summary of the big problems that growers face all over the country. The producers said: “We cannot afford electricity, diesel, fertilizers or medicines. We are not dead, we are crawling, we have reached the point where we stop farming,” they said.

Saying they are trying to make a living growing beans, wheat and potatoes in their fields, the growers said they are struggling with problems caused by rising input costs and will have more trouble this year with the effect of the drought

‘WHO IS EATING OUR RIGHTS?’

Saying that they sell the best potatoes for 4 and a half lira, but the price of potatoes has dropped to 3 lira recently, the growers said, “How come the potatoes that you bought from us for 3-4 lira are being sold on the shelves for 15 lira? How is that big difference, where does this snow go? Who is eating our rights? he asked.

Drawing attention to the increased costs in potato production, the farmers said: “We do not include the fact that our children are working and we do not include them in the cost calculation.”

‘A MOBILE PHONE ARRIVES IN A POTATO TRUCK’

Pointing out that you can only buy a mobile phone with a truckload of potatoes they sell, a producer said: “A mobile phone costs between 35 and 40 thousand lira. There was a cell phone that was sold for 60 thousand liras. A 20-ton potato truck can only carry a mobile phone,” he said.

CHP Niğde MP Ömer Fethi Gürer stated that the state should support farmers and create a system that covers their losses.

‘THE ENTRY COSTS RISE, THE PRICE RISES’

Pointing out that growers need to know which product will be grown in which region 1 year ago and how much the product will be sold, Gürer said: “There is no planning regarding agriculture in our country. Potato production, which was 6.5 million in 1999, dropped to 5.2 million tons. In the period when potato production is high, the producer cannot earn money, when potato production is low, prices increase. How will the farmer make money with 342 percent more fertilizer? As input costs increase, prices also increase,” he said.

‘OPEN BETWEEN FIELD AND SHELF’

Ömer Fethi Gürer said that the potato sold in the field for 4 and a half lira should be 7 lira in the markets with the intermediary commission, transport and other expenses, and said: “The farmer’s reproach is justified when the potato is sold for 4 and a half half lira is 15-16 lira in the markets. Here the agent wins. This is the case of potatoes, onions and wheat. The producer’s onion stays in the field, and its price on the market is 10 lire,” he said.

‘TOOLS STAND OUT ON POTATOES’

Pointing out that one of the two victims of the current system is a producer and the other is a consumer, CHP’s Gürer said: The potato producer wins, loses, there is no stability. They also import potatoes. They even brought potatoes to this country from Egypt. The main thing is to protect the producer. “The biggest problem in this country is not being able to protect the producer,” he said.

‘FARMER STANDING WITH LOAN’

Explaining that agriculture is a strategic area, Gürer continued:

“The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry says: ‘There is not a farmer with problems, everyone is happy’, but it is not like that in the field. The product is happy that the cost of selling it does not hurt. Every year, the variability in agriculture tires the farmer. When he thinks that he has earned money, he realizes that he did not earn when he left everything in his hand while he went to plant again.

The farmer is standing on credit. Only the debt of farmers with banks is 300 billion. According to BRSA data, it is in the past. Tickets, on the other hand, don’t stop and go.

Can fertilizer, which was 5,400 lira in February last year, increased to 7,800 lira, 9,450 lira Urea fertilizer increased to 11,800 lira, and 9,450 lira Dap fertilizer increased to 14-15 thousand lire. In this case, the farmer does the obligatory planting. He has nothing else to do. Small family businesses in the countryside are problematic. The farmer earns his living with his head.”