Turkey: Animal feed totalled $3 bln last year

According to a recently published report prepared by the Animal Husbandry Council and launched at the 7th Sectoral Economy Council meeting, the country’s dependence on animal feed imports and the increasing depreciation of the Turkish lira against the US dollar, which has been ongoing since the second half of 2013, have increased the costs of animal husbandry.

Speaking at the council meeting organised by the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), President of the Turkish Feed Manufacturers’ Association (TÜRKİYEM-BİR) Ülkü Karakuş stressed that animal feed imports have been increasing every year and that the increase in agricultural production is failing to meet the demand for animal feed.

Karakuş said animal feed imports have increased by 5-10% every year and that they would increase from six to seven tonnes in 2014.

In order to decrease the amount of feed being imported, the Animal Husbandry Council has stated that feed crop plantation and efficient usage of grazing lands should be promoted. The council also urged the Food, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Ministry to devise a production plan, taking the climate and land conditions into consideration, in order to increase forage crop production while demanding a seasonal reduction in the customs tax imposed on forage crop imports.

Turkey’s wheat harvest is expected to drop by 14.3% this year due to a serious threat of further drought, according to a recent report prepared by the Turkish Union of Agricultural Chambers (TZOB).