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Press release…
Turkish Sub Union of Seed Industrialists and Producers (TSÜAB) Chairman of the Board Dr. Ahmet Yılmaz said that products that do not have seed qualities are sacked and marketed illegally to farmers.
Emphasizing that the certified seed is the yield and quality assurance of the farmer, Dr. Yılmaz used the following statements:
“Certificate in seeds; Since it shows the existence of the control and supervision of the state, it is the biggest quality and efficiency assurance of the farmer and the consumer. Due to the control and inspection of the state, the certified seed is also an assurance in terms of food safety.
Products that have not been inspected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, have not undergone any control and do not have seed qualifications, are sold to our farmers under the name of seeds. These products, which are obtained by mixing the sifted crop with dyes that do not even have protective properties, are sacked and marketed to farmers.”
Dr. Yılmaz stated, “The certificate is the guarantee of the seed. At the same time, our farmers can only seek their rights with a certificate and invoice in case of a seed-related grievance that will arise in the future.”
Reminding that farmers using certified seeds know what they sow and what to reap, Dr. Yılmaz said, “20-25% yield increase is achieved with certified seeds. The harvested productive and high quality crops both make the producers happy and contribute to the national economy.”
“Illegal Activities Should Be Inspected”
“In order to produce certified seeds, an authorization certificate must be obtained from the Ministry. Inspection of our Seed Industrialists and Producers who make certified production by investing in seed production with the authorization obtained from our Ministry and all kinds of control in the market have been given to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry with the Seed Law No 5553. Unfortunately, these market inspections, which should be done by the Ministry, cannot be carried out sufficiently and effectively,” Dr. Yılmaz added.
Indicating that to emphasize again, there is an unfair profit and unfair competition in this illegal seed activity, Dr. Yılmaz underlined, “These illegal products, which are subject to unfair trade and sold as ‘seeds’, negatively affect the sales of the certified seed.”
“We Should Lead the Farmer to Certified Seed”
Expressing that certified seed use supports, delayed payment dates and even uncertainty, which have not increased in parallel with the rapidly increasing seed production costs in recent years, reduce the demand for certified seeds and direct farmers to illegal seeds, Dr. Yılmaz pointed out, “Seed supports should be evaluated separately from other agricultural supports and should be regulated especially based on the Seed Law. “
“If solutions are not urgently produced on these issues, it will not be possible for us to achieve the target of 1.5 million tons of certified seed production announced by our Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Bekir Pakdemirli, as the 2023 target,” Dr. Yılmaz concluded…
