THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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The restriction on the export of olive oil in bulk and in barrels has been lifted by the order of the Ministry of Trade.
Many sector representatives reacted to the restriction decision taken last March due to the low yield in olive oil, the uncertainty created by the pandemic and other global reasons, on the grounds that “olive farmers will suffer, the market will be lost in olive oil exports”.
Akhisar (a district of Manisa province) Commodity Exchange Chairperson Alper Alhat said, “Contrary to other sector representatives who were outraged at that time, we explained that, considering the lack of yield, there was no decrease in prices and there would be no harm for the farmer and so we prevented the panic and disrupted the game of those who tried to snatch their products from the farmer’s hands for cheap. We find the reticent attitude of the representatives of this sector meaningful.”
Stating that speculators sometimes come into play in both olive oil and other agricultural products, as in this example, Alhat warned the farmers to be careful against those who try to sell their products cheaply by intimidating them, with rhetoric as if they were protecting the farmers.
Pointing out that the government can impose a ban or bring products from outside when needed, Alhat explained, “Still the goverment does not take these measures to harm the farmer, but for the sustainability of both the producer and the consumer along with the value-added exports. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Trade did not manage this process well. It did not inform the public properly. Many commercial grievances and some unjust gains have arisen because it tried to impose it on an exporter’s association without clearly determining and publishing it in the Official Gazette.”
“We hope that the relevant institutions have learned the necessary lessons from what happened in this process. We also hope our farmers have learned lessons from this process as well. They will be vigilant against those who try to put the farmers forward for their own interests,” Alhat added…
