Lentil Imports Surpass Annual Production Figures in Turkey
· Google Haberler
Turkey's lentil imports have exceeded domestic production, with foreign purchases costing over $2.8 billion in the last seven years.
Striking Figures in Lentil Imports
CHP Niğde Deputy Ömer Fethi Gürer drew attention to the decline in Turkey's lentil production and the escalating foreign purchases. Stating that Anatolia is the homeland of lentils, CHP Niğde Deputy Ömer Fethi Gürer shared the following data on the subject:
"In recent years, with misguided agricultural policies, our country has become an importer of lentils as well. 4 million 463 thousand 769 tons of red and green lentils were imported in 7 years. In return, our foreign currency worth 2 billion 897 million 698 thousand dollars went abroad. 87.9% of the imported product consists of red lentils. Although a lentil production of 433 thousand 320 tons is expected this year, 495 thousand 572 tons of lentils have been imported. It appears that imports will again exceed production by the end of the year."
Input Costs Are Reducing Production
Emphasizing that half of the lentil soups on our tables are made from imported products, Ömer Fethi Gürer said that farmers are helpless against rising costs. Touching upon the inadequacy of the producer's earnings from the field, CHP Niğde Deputy Ömer Fethi Gürer stated:
"However, our country can achieve self-sufficiency in lentil production. The biggest problem for producers is the increase in input costs. When the producer cannot sell their product in the field at a price suitable for input costs, they change their crop pattern. As a result, there is a decline in production every year."
Call for Planned Support for Domestic Producers
Reminding that the packaged products on market shelves are of Canadian, Kazakh, or Russian origin, Ömer Fethi Gürer stressed that lentils hold a strategic place in Turkey, which has a supply deficit in 21 products. Advocating for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to make plans, CHP Niğde Deputy Ömer Fethi Gürer noted:
"The price of lentil soup, which is on the tables of the poor and needy, is not decreasing despite imported products; it is increasing. In that case, there is no benefit to the consumer from imports. It also causes the producer to move away from production. For this reason, domestic production should be supported. Domestic producers should be given the right incentives at the right time, and support should be paid on time to ensure a planned increase in lentil production."