Former minister blames bad policies

Turkish farmers are facing tough times due to bad agriculture policies implemented in the past, according to Musa Demirci, former minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Speaking at a press meeting held at the Saadet (Felicity) Party headquarters in Edirne, a city in Thrace, the westernmost part of Turkey, Demirci said that the agenda in Turkey had been occupied with same topics for a long time.

Noting that Turkey’s real problems are being neglected, Demirci said: “There is an effort to make people forget about Turkey’s problems amid a vicious circle. Over the past six months, neither agriculture nor social life was a topic on the agenda. The only debates are on topics such as the Kurdish initiative or democratic initiative.”

Demirci said that farmers are in distress due to the wrong policies implemented in Turkey.

Rising input prices have hurt farmers, he said. “Thrace is Turkey’s heart in agriculture, as well as in stockbreeding. Sunflower and wheat are the main agricultural crops in that region. Diesel fuel, irrigation and fertilizer prices are extremely high. Therefore, our farmers’ crops do not yield sufficient income. Hence, urgent support for our farmers is required.”

In Turkey, the number of people involved in stockbreeding is declining each day, causing a rise in meat prices, Demirci said, adding that the government has not taken the necessary measures on time.