Rising Input Costs the Core Issue in Food Prices

September 16, 2026 · Tarım Pusulası

Ayhan Barut, evaluating operations in 22 provinces targeting the fresh fruit and vegetable market, emphasized that the surge in food prices cannot solely be attributed to intermediaries, and the rising input costs for producers must be addressed.

As part of the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the fresh fruit and vegetable market, searches were carried out in 22 provinces, and detention orders were issued for the executives of 41 major distribution companies. Evaluating the operations following these actions, Ayhan Barut, a member of the Parliamentary Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Affairs Commission, stated that allegations of unfair profit and manipulation in the market must be investigated within the framework of the law. However, Ayhan Barut, a member of the Parliamentary Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Affairs Commission, stated that the primary increase in food prices cannot be explained solely by intermediaries, and made the following assessment:

Pointing to structural disruptions in the supply chain from farm to table, Ayhan Barut stressed that the heavy input burden on producers should not be overlooked. Barut noted that farmers' expenses for diesel, fertilizer, agricultural chemicals, seeds, electricity, and irrigation are continuously rising, and that producers are not earning the income they deserve from their products. Stating that consumers are also facing high prices in markets and supermarkets in an environment where production costs are rapidly climbing, Barut argued that agricultural policies must be re-evaluated to reduce cost pressures.

Ayhan Barut stated that it is critical for producers to be able to foresee input costs at the planting stage, support payments they will receive, and product yields at harvest, noting that a lack of planning threatens sustainability. Warning that the increasing cost of basic inputs and the suppression of product purchase prices could alienate farmers from production, Barut indicated that attempts to compensate for yield and production declines through imports do not offer a lasting solution. Barut added that the reasons for Turkey's increasing dependency on imports for certain strategic agricultural products need to be thoroughly examined.

Ayhan Barut, a member of the Parliamentary Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Affairs Commission, demanded the establishment of a transparent price formation mechanism for lasting stability in the agricultural sector, stating that a planned policy centered on the producer must be implemented, and said:

Barut stated that input costs must be reduced, producers must be supported, and consumers' purchasing power must be protected, adding that fluctuations in food prices will not end as long as transparency is not ensured in the chain from farm to table and production costs are not lowered.

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