Harvest Increases in Fields, But Prices Don't Drop on Shelves
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CHP Niğde Deputy Ömer Fethi Gürer stated that the expected increase in crop production, driven by rising input costs and unplanned production, is not translating into price reductions on retail shelves.
Input Costs Strain Producers
CHP Niğde Deputy Ömer Fethi Gürer highlighted the deepening structural problems in the agricultural sector and drew attention to rising input costs. Gürer emphasized that the price of diesel has exceeded 80 lira per liter, and the price of fertilizers, heavily used by farmers, has reached 30,000 lira per ton. He stated that the purchase prices set for staple products like wheat, hazelnuts, and tea do not ensure farmer welfare. Despite rising production costs, the low floor prices significantly pressure producers' incomes.
Prices Remain High Despite Harvest Increases
Referring to the statement by the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, İbrahim Yumaklı, expecting a record increase in crop production, Ömer Fethi Gürer, a member of the Grand National Assembly's Agriculture, Forestry, and Village Affairs Commission, pointed to the market contradiction and made the following assessment:
"The harvest is increasing, but the price of the product on the shelf is not decreasing."
Gürer argued that the structural problems in the chain from the field to the shelf have not been resolved. He stated that due to the producer's inability to predict future prices, the crop pattern is constantly changing. Gürer noted that this situation leads to produce remaining in the fields during periods of surplus production and retail prices skyrocketing during times of supply shortage.