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Turkey closed its doors to imported melons!
Watermelon tax has been increased to 300 dollars from 75 dollars on imports. This decision has delighted the farmers in Adana province where 20-25 percent of water melons produced in Turkey. Yüreğir District Chamber of Agriculture President Mehmet Akın Doğan said, “We have exemplified the 145.8 percent customs tax on imported bananas. Our Ministry also found it right and imposed a 300 dollars customs tax per ton of watermelon. I hope next year, no watermelon will enter our country. ” Producers say that the kilogram of watermelon is raised by 2 TL due to tax.
Watermelon farmer has started to give up production since it has not been able to compete with cheap Iranian watermelons in recent years. Adana Yüreğir Chamber of Agriculture President Mehmet Akın Doğan stated, “In the first week of May, we had a meeting with Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Mehmet Hadi Tunç and told him to put an import tax on watermelon just like the 145.8 percent tax on banana imports. After 2 weeks after the meeting, the Ministry of Commerce made a critical decision on Friday, May 15. With the decision published in the Official Gazette, the tax of watermelon from other countries has been increased from 75 dollars to 300 dollars per ton. This decision highly pleased the farmers of Adana region.”
Banana imports reduced…
Noting that imports of banana decreased because of taxes and local cultivation showed an increase, Mehmet Akın Doğan added, “Early grown watermelons used to come from Iran but we put forward the decision taken for bananas as a precedent. When 145.8 percent customs tax was imposed on imported banana, banana inflow to our country decreased and cultivation areas increased in the Mediterranean Region.
Cultivation areas to increase…
Emphasizing that thanks to this decision, the early watermelon planting areas in the country will increase next year, Doğan concluded, “Reflection price of the tax on the kilogram is 2 liras. Some amount of watermelons entered this year, but no watermelon will enter the year. Now watermelon producer is satisfied. Our Ministry should take such steps constantly.”
