Stockbreeders warn: Soon there will be no more animals to milk

With the inflation sky-rocketing many producers have been experiencing economic difficulties in Turkey. In fact, food producers are among those with major issues and this may turn out to be a threat for the nutrition of the people in the country in close future.

In this context for instance, stockbreeders are sending their animals to slaughter because they are not able to feed them properly due to increased input costs.

A stockbreeder from central Anatolia has shared following regarding the issue:

“We are not making money as before, we are at loss. I used to bring 500-600 bags of feed, but now I’m down to 200 bags. How can I feed them? In dairy production, you sell milk for little money, you sell meat for a low price as well, the consumer is right to complain about high prices … The producer (stockbreeders) and the consumer, unfortunately, are in this clamp, they are suffering right now. Especially since we, as producers, are experiencing the last days. I’m going to sell it (bısiness) right now, clean up the dairy in a month or two. I have already had slaughters, in a period of about two months, I have cut 20 of my animals, I have to have them slaughtered, I can’t feed them anymore.“

“We are in a very difficult situation“

”The stockbreeder, worried about the rising hay prices, said that the producers were in a very difficult situation. He went on to say, “Hay costs 90 kurus in Adana and costs about TL 1600 – 1700 to our place … The price of alfalfa is TL 3. How can I bear this cost to feed my animals? I personally do the work for 4 people in the morning and at night. I sell milk at TL 5 and the price at the market is TL 16.I produce, feed, milk myself and I still cannot earn money, I’m going to quit this job because there’s no alternative because I can’t feed my animal.“