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As the economic crisis deepens in Turkey, livestock breeders are among the worst affected by rising costs, especially since the start of the import of hay in recent years as a result of the government’s restrictive policies on agriculture.
Due to the economic crisis, the increase in the prices of feed and hay, and the threat of drought in the spring, livestock breeders and farmers are experiencing hard times. These days breeders are able to buy feed and hay only by selling some of their animals. They say that if the economic crisis continues, they will have to stop farming livestock, MA reports.
Sadullah Alal has come to the hay market in Turkey’s eastern province of Van (Wan) to buy hay for the livestock he rears.
“It’s expensive this year, it’s very hard to afford. Wheat and barley hay are sold at 1,200 TL a ton, and alfalfa hay at 3,000 TL.he says.
Although he is still coming to the hay market, he thinks he will stop livestock farming in the near future.
“It’s become so hard to feed the animals, I want to sell them, I sell them and buy hay with the money I get for the remaining animals. It can’t keep going on like that forever,” he states.
Recep Özbey, a breeder from the Anzax neighborhood of Van, says he is selling his animals at a loss.
“I got 6,000 TL the other day for a cow I had bought for 13,000 TL. I had ten sheep and goats. I sold five animals to buy hay for the other five.”
The situation of animal breeders is not unique to them. Many people in Turkey have been suffering from the latest economic crisis and the loss of value of the Turkish lira against foreign currencies.
Erhan İnan, grazing his sheep, stated that the only possible solution is a change of government.
“I have 50 sheep and so far I have paid 25,000 TL for hay. How are we to go on? We’ve brought our sheep out to graze despite the cold weather and the lack of grass. We’re concerned about what we’re going to do tomorrow when the ground is covered in snow. The only way out of this crisis is a change of government. If the government doesn’t change, we will have a much worse situation next year.”
