ŞEMSİ BAYRAKTAR: AGRICULTURE SHOULD BE OUR FIRST PRIORITY

Press release...

19 March, 2020, Ankara

- “Agriculture should be our first priority nowadays when fear of hunger and anxiety about adequate nutrition prevail”

- “A new package should be announced that the agriculture sector will be a priority”

- “More importance should be given to agriculture and urgent measures should be taken to keep farmers in production and to keep supply steady”

Union of Turkish Agricultural Chambers President Şemsi Bayraktar said that the needs of other sectors have been regarded urgent in "Economic Stabilization Shield" packace announced by the President Tayyip Erdoğan whereas agricultural sector which provides the food security of Turkey has been ignored.

Emphasizing the need for a new package in which the agriculture sector will be a priority and producers and consumers will be protected, Bayraktar said, “Agriculture should be our first priority in these days when fear of hunger and anxiety of adequate nutrition prevail."

Bayraktar stated that the importance of ensuring food security and reaching adequate and quality food once again emerged in the process of combating the COVID-19 outbreak starting from China.

Indicating that the devoted Turkish farmer will continue to produce by heart, even in the most difficult period and to equip our tables in this process, Bayraktar added, "In this process, agriculture, which is one of the most strategic sectors, should be given more importance and urgent measures should be taken to keep the farmers in production and to keep the supply uninterrupted. We must remove all the obstacles on the road to agricultural production."

-Requests...

Bayraktar listed the expectations to be resolved urgently for the agricultural sector as follows:

“Credit debts to Ziraat Bank, Agricultural Credit Cooperatives and private banks should be postponed or structured without interest.

For the sustainability of production, a one-time interest-free loan should be given.

Electricity debt and agricultural irrigation debt used in agriculture and animal husbandry should be postponed without interest.

Supports to be paid must be paid as soon as possible.

Input prices, especially electricity prices, should be reduced in order to reduce costs.

All payments due to our farmers, especially Bağ-Kur (social security) premium debts, should be postponed.

Feed prices should be rehabilitated and feed loans should be given to our livestock producers.

Necessary measures should be taken to prevent the decrease in animal prices in the recent producer."