Small cattle breeders rebelled: We have thousands, millions of animals waiting to be sold

Nihat Çelik, the Chairman of the Central Union of Breeding Sheep and Goat Breeders of Turkey (TÜDKİYEB), made statements regarding meat prices. Çelik said that some groups had made news that meat prices would increase before the month of Ramadan.

Reminding that Ramadan is a very important and holy month for Muslims, Çelik said that rumors of an increase in meat prices should not be taken seriously during this time when people help each other more.

Çelik stated that they were closely following this issue as a union and said, "While there has been no increase in meat prices in any case, there is news that says 'There will be a 20 percent increase in Ramadan.' What do you mean 20 percent? Is this something that can be accepted? These unscrupulous people, these barons, must be stopped."

Çelik, who requested the increase in the sales stores of the Meat and Milk Institution, said, "Our government should play an active role in establishing meat sales stores especially for our unions and in removing the middlemen, buying from the grower and delivering directly to the consumer. Because we cannot overcome this middleman lobby. We are ready to do whatever measures are necessary for this, not our hands, but our bodies. Because we know the situation of the field, we know the purchasing power of the people."

"IT IS IMPORTANT THAT HEAVY PENALTIES BE IMPOSED ON THESE"

Nihat Çelik emphasized that there was no increase in meat prices in businesses before Ramadan and continued his words as follows:

"The intermediary lobby has joined forces, they have joined forces, and they are trying to exclude us. They have certain solution partners behind them. They are struggling to spread the news. Hearing news that meat prices are going up by 20 or 30 percent before Ramadan saddens us. If you appreciate it, Ramadan is a holy month for us. Charitable people, patriotic people cut corners in such months, make sacrifices so that citizens who do not have the purchasing power or whose purchasing power is weak can consume meat on their tables. While we were expecting this, we were very saddened to encounter a different picture."

Nihat Çelik, who stated that it is clear who is stockpiling meat, noted the following:

"Those who are making the news about the price hikes are obvious. They say, 'Producers cannot sell their products'. No, there is no such thing. We have thousands, millions of animals ready and in stock waiting to be sold. Therefore, they are the ones who stock the animals, they are the ones who sell them, and they are the ones who want the price hike. It is very important to impose heavy penalties on them in terms of easing the citizens and giving them a deep breath. This issue does not only concern our 500 thousand producers. This is also the problem of 85 million people. Therefore, it is very important and necessary to eliminate these opportunists and reduce meat prices to a reasonable level."