With the Minister of Agriculture and Forests Dr. Bekir Pakdemirli, Kızıltepe Commodity Exchange President of Board of Directors Mehmet Şahin attended the Eastern and Southeastern Region Consultation meeting where almost 30 Chambers and Commodity Exchanges were represented which was held so as to discuss the issues from the represented cities and districts as well as solution offers and suggestions.
Kızıltepe Commdoity Exchange President of Board of Directors Mehmet Şahin said the consultation meeting was an important opportunity for the Chambers and Commodity Exchanges and addressed the issues of our members operating in Mardin and its Organized Industrial Region for the Minister Pakdemir.
President Şahin discussed the prohibition on Flour Export affects the industrialists in flour industry negatively and the prohibition on the export of local flour causes issues and result the flour is kept in stocks. He added that if the prohibition prolonged, the farmers and related employment would face difficulties in flour sales and demanded the abolishment of prohibition on local flour a soon as possible from Minister Pakdemirli. President Şahin also spoke as follows:
“GAP Action Plan offers to erase the economic and social development gap among regions and is called to be a life-saver project for unemployment and immigration and eventually become a turning point for our country and region. Our greatest expectation is the GAP irrigation canals’ coming into effect as soon as possible and the consequent abundance on our lands.
The 2nd Product Corn was not purchased by the Turkish Grain Board despite the determined purchase price of 0,760 per ton last year. Thus we ask for the immediate solutions on sweet corn support pay, the abolishment of unrecorded economic practices, the purchase of sweet corn of Turkish Grain Board and Agricultural Grant Investments within Rural Devepoment Spport.
The Minister of Agriculture and Forest Ekrem Pakdemirli said “We are going to continue to complete the GAP irrigation canals as rapidly as possible and wish to present them to Mesopotamian fields as soon as possible. As for sweet corn, we Turkish Grain Board closely follow the markets. As we have seen it will happen against the interests of the sweet corn producers, we started to buy sweet corn at 950 lira instead of 750. We want our producers not to worry about the produce costs. The produce cost will be deposited into their accounts within 10 days. If we calculate, an approximate of 50-55 TL support is obtained, the producers will be able to get 1500 lira. Because of the economic issues we’re facing for the time being, we need time to ebolish the prohibition of flour export. Hopefully it won’t last long and through healthy and efficient export, all problems about the issue will come to an end.
In the conclusion part of consultation meeting, it was decided the issues and the solution offers that the presidents of the Commodity Exchanges and Chambers addressed would be reported to the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges and related Ministries.
