FUNDA BALTALI: WE CAN NOT MEET THE DOMESTIC DEMAND OF GOAT MILK

In the corona days, where the importance of agriculture, animal husbandry and food supply were better understood all over the world, the eyes were turned into successful entrepreneurs in this field.

Funda Özer Baltalı, who started her career as a banker after Robert College and her law education and then returned to his business life as a mother, was one of them.

Baltalı Gıda (Food), got started in 2008 and located in Seferihisar district of Izmir province, solely produces goat milk and its products.

Funda Özer Baltalı who provides the milk from goats in her own farm explained:

“We have a special high-breed of goats. Our goats are grown in the healthiest conditions, under the supervision of specialists, by making all the controls. It has the necessary international certificates in terms of food safety. We also work on product development for allergic children and adults in cooperation with universities. Our product range, where we use 100 percent goat milk, includes daily pasteurized goat milk, Seferihisar goat cheese, goat cheddar cheese, goat's cheese, goat curd, goat labne, goat milk, light goat cheese, easy yogurt, goat butter, kephir (kefir) from goat milk, goat strained yogurt."

In the growing trend...

"The market is currently in a growing trend and there is a very high attention," said Baltalı, adding that they have grown 30 percent in 2019 and that they aim to expand at the same rate this year.

It can be seen from the data of Baltalı Gıda that consumer demand has increased faster than goat milk production in the country. "We did not export in 2019. There are no plans in 2020. Unfortunately, due to the lack of goat milk, we cannot even meet the domestic market demands," Baltalı noted.

'We did not have a supply problem'

Stating that the importance of agriculture, animal husbandry and production emerged with the Covid-19 outbreak, Baltalı clarified :

"In some countries while the empty shelves and queu images in front of stores are observed, everything is calm thanks to Turkish producers. We do not have any supply problems. We did not have a problem because we worked in stock in our packaging materials. We do good things. We must trust ourselves and look forward to the future. Turkey has a great potential in agriculture and livestock. Through well designed cooperation Turkey can be a major player across the world. I believe that this point of view can lead Turkey as one of the world's leading countries in agriculture and animal husbandry."

Like breast milk...

The reason for the increasing interest of consumers in goat milk in recent years is that experts often emphasize the benefits of this kind... Funda Özer Baltalı tells these benefits as follows:

"Goat milk is both easy to digest and highly nutritious. It is increasingly preferred by the fact that it is a milk close to breast milk and taking place in doctor's prescriptions for lactose allergy, which is becoming more common. Goat milk reduces the risk of many chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and cardiovascular diseases."

By Ebru Sungur,

www.milliyet.com.tr