June 30, 2010
Turkey to import livestock by year-end
The government yesterday (June 29) announced that the state-owned Meat and Fish Institution (EBK) will import 100,000 tonnes of cattle through the end of the year, in a bid to halt extreme price hikes caused by a growing shortage of red meat in the domestic market.
According to a Cabinet decision, no duty will be levied on the 100,000 tonnes of livestock imports to be carried out by the EBK until December 31. The institution will be allowed to import livestock to be slaughtered in Turkey, not for breeding.
With the Turkish red meat market experiencing unprecedented price increases for the past few months, the government decided last month to resume livestock and red meat imports through the EBK following an eight-year ban as a result of the mad cow disease scare.
The EBK had opened a tender for the purchase of 8,500 head of livestock in May in Ankara. While the first and second tenders were cancelled, the third tender was approved by the EBK with a Jordanian firm, Khaled Hijazi & Ghosheh Ltd. Co., winning.
