Turkish farmers are critical of the government’s recent decision to import potatoes to combat rising prices, Deutsche Welle Turkish service reported on Monday.
Turkey’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli announced that by means of a presidential decree Turkey had recently imported 200 tons of potatoes after the price per kilogram reached 5 Turkish lira.
Producers urged the government to take measures to lower the price at home instead of resorting to imports.
Farmers complained to DW that they’re unable to cope with the increase in the cost of production, from gas prices to seeds and fertilizers.
Zeki Turan, a farmer from İzmir’s Ödemiş district, told DW that the increase in the cost of production is not tolerable for many producers at home, criticizing the import of potatoes from abroad.
Another producer from Afyon, Mehmet Mühürler, asked the government to impose a limit on potato production to fight the high prices.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in recent months has targeted produce sellers, calling them “food terrorists” in the face of increasing inflation.