Fattening farms to be established in vicinity of Turkiye's big cities - head of institution

Mustafa Kayhan, the General Manager of the Meat and Milk Institution (ESK), said that they have implemented the works that they have carried out to intervene in the recently increased red meat prices. Emphasizing that they substituted products in the red meat market through the ESK, Kayhan stated that they provided products to industrialists and retailers. Mustafa Kayhan pointed out that measures should be taken in the medium term, and said that it is necessary to ensure the integration of producers and industrialists and that it is important to expand contracted livestock farming.

"We will establish fattening farms with an average of 20,000 heads of animal"

Pointing out that one of their medium-term targets is livestock management, Mustafa Kayhan stated that they will establish cattle farms in every region of Turkiye close to the ESK combines. Mustafa Kayhan gave the following information: "We aim to establish livestock farms in a few regions of Turkiye, especially in areas close to big cities. We have to do livestock planning either by expanding contracted production or by establishing livestock farms. We will establish livestock farms with an average of 20,000 heads of animals. For example, when we have at least 100,000 heads of livestock stock, we will be able to balance the price by supplying a large amount of goods to the market in case of the price starts to rise. This farm building project will be invested as soon as possible, we have prepared projects in a few cities. We even rented the empty farms and we will be able to do this. We will definitely go into the livestock business. Our priority here is to procure the animals within the country.”

"Price balancing should be done to increase the welfare of milk producers"

Stating that livestock breeding should be developed in rural areas where pasture areas are large, Mustafa Kayhan stated that a price policy that will increase the welfare of milk producers is important for the sector. Mustafa Kayhan noted that when these are provided, the meat problem will be largely eliminated. Pointing out that the supply-demand balance deteriorates in some periods, Kayhan said, "Periods such as pandemics or droughts disrupt the balance. Here, when this balance is disturbed, people quit these jobs when they lose their income. There is a serious migration from the countryside to the cities," he said.