Price Dispute Grows in Rural Prosperity Project

September 16, 2026 · Tarım Pusulası

In Gaziantep, it is alleged that only 3 out of 39 eligible beneficiaries have received their livestock under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's small ruminant support project, with withdrawals attributed to high prices and credit conditions.

Criticisms have emerged regarding the delivery processes implemented in Gaziantep under the Rural Prosperity Small Ruminant Support Project, conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. CHP Gaziantep Deputy Hasan Öztürkmen stated that approximately 4,000 producers applied for the project in the city, and as a result of the draw, 39 individuals were determined as main beneficiaries. Öztürkmen alleged that only 3 of the 39 main beneficiaries, with over 100 reserve candidates on the list, accepted delivery of 100 small ruminants each. It was argued that breeders withdrew from the project due to high costs and the lack of selection rights.

According to official data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Rural Prosperity Small Ruminant Support Project is being carried out within a three-year calendar covering the 2026-2028 period. The program aims to distribute a total of 150,000 small ruminants to producers across Turkey. Eligible breeders are delivered a total of 100 animals, comprising 95 females and 5 males, through TİGEM. The Ministry reports that the cost of the animals is collected either in cash at the official TİGEM sales price on the delivery date or through Ziraat Bank loans, with one year of TARSİM insurance and maintenance/feeding support provided.

It was stated that Ivesi breed sheep, frequently preferred during the sacrificial period, were allocated to beneficiaries in the region by TİGEM. Deputy Hasan Öztürkmen expressed that producers did not have the opportunity to personally select the animals to be given to them. Öztürkmen further alleged that Ivesi sheep, trading at 15-16 thousand TL in the market, were invoiced to producers at 24 thousand TL under the project. It was noted that the difference in unit price negatively affected the participation motivation of breeders in the project and that TİGEM sales prices should be updated according to free market conditions.

Another point of objection to the project focused on financing costs and interest rates. Hasan Öztürkmen argued that the support statements in the project promotions created a perception of interest-free loans among producers, but in practice, they encountered rates varying by age and gender. The official guide of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry states that a loan subsidy of up to 100% is offered within the scope of the Ziraat Bank Basic Livestock Loan. The financing model includes a grace period of up to two years and repayment terms ranging from five to seven years.

Attention was drawn to the importance of the project achieving its overall goals for the sustainability of small ruminant husbandry. Hasan Öztürkmen stated that in such a large-scale program planned for the distribution of 150,000 small ruminants nationwide, it would be difficult to reach the final targets if producer demands on the ground could not be met. Emphasizing that producers need to be supported with comprehensive policies in the face of high input costs, Öztürkmen called for the resolution of current shortcomings and the implementation of stronger and more predictable economic models in both small and large ruminant husbandry.

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