Feeders Rebellion: Costs Up, Sales Down

There has been a steady increase in meat prices this year. Eid-al-Adha is very important for breeders. Rising costs put less money in the pockets of growers, while breeders complain that they can’t sell due to rising costs.

Slaughter prices on the market average between 60 and 110 thousand TL. Prices may increase or decrease depending on the characteristics of the animal. Farmers dealing with animal husbandry in the Yazıkonak district of Elazig pointed out that animal prices have increased due to rising costs, although the costs have not been covered.

“7-8 PEOPLE CANNOT HAVE THE POWER TO BUY ANIMALS VALUE OF 100 THOUSAND LIRA”

Nurettin Yeşiltarla, the breeder, stated that he has been dealing with animal husbandry for 30 years and this year’s slaughter sales are less compared to previous years, saying;

*Because the prices of animals and feed are high. 7-8 people cannot afford to buy an animal worth 100 thousand lire. We are going through a very difficult time in livestock, a bag of feed costs 400-450 lire. When you buy an animal, it is very expensive when you look at it for a year because the costs have increased a lot.

*How can we make money in such a situation? Currently people cannot buy animals because the prices have risen, last year they were 50 thousand liras, this year the prices of animals have risen due to the increase in costs. Therefore, buyers prefer small cattle. In this sector, as long as costs like feed and barley are reduced, you will not be able to sell as soon as animal prices drop.

* In the past there were at least two thousand head of cattle in this neighborhood, but now there are a maximum of 500 animals because the breeder has no power, we cannot take any measure against the lack.

*We milk and sell milk, the price is low, we slaughter the animal and sell the meat, the purchase price of the meat is low. You can’t make money without cutting costs. Currently, the livestock has come to an end.

“PRODUCTION DECREASES BECAUSE THE ANIMALS ARE NOT SUPPORTED”

Pointing out that production has decreased because the state does not support producers dealing with animal husbandry, breeder Murat Ortaç used the following statements;

*I am a farmer, we have a production site in Tunceli. Last year we made about 4-5 tons of grilled sausage, chorizo, doner, and now our weekly production has dropped to 500 kilos due to the decrease in people’s purchasing power.

*One of the most problematic issues in the livestock sector right now is that the government does not directly support people who raise animals. Production decreases by not supporting farmers. Currently none of my children are dedicated to raising animals because the prices do not satisfy the producer.

*Some money has been made compared to last year, but we are unable to replace outgoing product. Because of the sacrifice, we have a little for sale, I sell the animal of 400 kilograms, it costs 100 thousand liras. I buy 400 kilos of animals for 50 thousand lire, the costs of feed and labor reach 85 thousand lira.

* As the cost of the country increases day by day, my money goes to nothing. Normally, if I sell 100 animals, I can’t buy an apartment in Istanbul with the money here, while the price of 100 animals is good in numbers.

*State veterinarians control breeders, but unfortunately they do not go to the field to check, they do not sensitize producers. Milk is bought at 10 liras, in many places a glass of tea costs 5 liras and a liter of water costs 10 liras. Why would my son do this job despite all these problems?

* We can’t take vacations, even if our funeral is on the ground, we have to go feed those animals. If five meat trucks went to Istanbul last year, now two meat trucks go to Istanbul. Picnics are held in the summer months, and meat should be plentiful, but because there is no meat, you can’t even have a picnic.

*For this reason, the producer in Türkiye needs support. Give 500 lira of producer support money, the state should give me seasonal food from the food factory, this is the support. My monthly expense is 250 thousand liras, the salary of 500 liras is not maintenance.

“YOUNG PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO DO THIS JOB”

The president of the Elazig Dairy Producers Association, Halef Ortaç, said that there has been an increase of almost 150 percent in meat prices in the last year.

*This increase was also reflected in slaughter prices. The animal, which cost 40,000 lira last year, has increased to 100,000 lira this year. We should not look at this situation only from the side of the people who are sacrificing themselves, there is also the productive side.

* If the manufacturer had made a significant amount of money 2-3 years ago, there would have been no price increases. Because after the slaughter of breeding animals, there was a decrease in meat and milk, which led to price increases.

*We should not see much increase in meat and milk prices because the producer must be production oriented.

*If we were a livestock exporting country 30-35 years ago, but today we became importers, we have a production problem. The average working age in this sector has increased and young people no longer want to do this job because it cannot become attractive and the producer cannot earn money.

* It is said that meat prices are high, but it is true, but the person who cuts the victim interests you, but the person who makes this production does not interest you at all? The producer will produce so prices will drop, if production does not increase prices will remain high in this case, this is a matter of supply and demand.

* There is no longer a product with a low price in food products, very serious costs are spent while growing this product. If we are an agricultural country, we need to produce self-sufficiently.

*In this context, we need to increase our wetlands, we need to reduce food prices, we need to increase the profit margin of the producers so that the producer can do this job with pleasure.

“I WILL GIVE THE ANIMALS TO THE SLAUGHTER”

Stating that the number of animals being fed is decreasing every year, said breeder Fikri Karagöz;

*I have been doing this job for 40 years, before I raised small cattle, now I raised cattle.

* While I had 80-90 head of cattle, now I have 40. Because I have four children, one of them stayed here, they all work outside the city because there is no money in this sector. Five more animals are missing every year because costs have increased.

*I was only able to sell one this holiday because the customer finds the prices too high. The client that we want to give 450 kilos of animals for 100 thousand lire finds the price too high. The cost of the animal has already been 100 thousand lire, if I give it a lower price, it does not save me, if I say too much, the client does not buy it.

*Currently I have sold a single animal for 90 thousand lire. After a month or two, I will deliver the animals to the slaughterhouse. We want the support of the state, but the state cannot provide adequate support.