Turkey's potential in livestock sector hampered by restrictions

 

 

While Turkey has the ability to become a regional livestock market leader, it is beleaguered by several production issues and restrictions that will prevent the country from fulfilling its potential.

 

Turkey should take measures to boost domestic cattle production by removing restrictions that deter farmers from animal husbandry and introduce incentives to encourage animal breeding, said Semsi Bayraktar, president of the Turkish Union of Agricultural Chambers.

 

Bayraktar said mechanisms should also be introduced to regulate the domestic meat market.

 

Cattle meat sales generated US$250 million per year for Turkey about 20 years ago, but local restrictions limited the country's revenue from meat exports to just US$12 million per year, which could cause serious trouble in the domestic market.

 

Turkey has geographic advantage when it comes to the Middle East market, but the country is unable to capitalise on it due to endemic problems in animal husbandry and meat production, said Bayraktar.

 

Total meat production had decreased nine percent in the past 10 years, and meat exports further strains the supply available to the domestic market. The illegal trade of animals to neighbouring countries, and the slaughtering of cattle to increase local meat and milk prices are also leading to a falling number of livestock.

 

Also listed as problems are inadequate pastures, the inability to access certain grazing areas or fertile plains in the southeastern and eastern regions of Anatolia due to the threat of terrorism and the entry of the state-owned Meat and Fish Institution (EBK) into competition with private companies to provide meat for the army and other state establishments are among other problems.

 

He suggests that the government should increase incentives for domestic animal producers and implement strict measures against meat imports.

 

If meat imports continue to increase, local producers will simply leave the business and not return, and Turkey would become dependent on foreign meat, Bayraktar concluded.