As the farmer continues to produce despite all the increasing costs, from fertilizers to pesticides to diesel fuel, and plants next year’s produce; The government just announced support for the 2023 crop planted last year.

In other words, which agricultural products will receive support and in what quantity this year; It became clear after the farmer planted his produce, harvested it and sold it.

In addition to this, the increase in support amounts to be granted for agricultural products remained below the rates of increase in input costs. It should be noted that despite the increasing inflation of farmers, there was no increase in support for some products.

FUEL INCREASED BY 115% AFTER THE ELECTION, BUT SUPPORT INCREASED BY 37%

Diesel is one of the inputs that puts the greatest pressure on farmers, but for which the increase in aid amounts is limited.

According to the aid amounts announced yesterday, 103 TL per decare for wheat, barley, rye, oats and triticale, 250 TL for paddy rice, 86 TL for hazelnuts, onions, fresh tea, olives, sugar beet and dried beans, lentils and chickpeas. Diesel support of 103 TL will be provided for safflower.

However, while a liter of diesel fuel, which cost 18.5 TL before the May 14 elections, increased by 105 percent in the last four months after the elections, support for diesel for farmers could only increase by 37 percent.

The diesel support given to fodder crops did not increase at all: the support of 94 lira per decare remained constant.

The last increase in diesel prices occurred four days ago; With this increase, the price per liter increased to approximately 40 TL in Istanbul, 40.54 TL in Ankara and 40.71 TL in Izmir. Thus, for the first time the threshold of 40 lira per liter of diesel was exceeded.

FERTILIZER SUPPORT, WHICH EXCEEDS LAND PRICES, REMAINS STABLE

It is worth noting that there was no increase in support for fertilizers, one of the inputs that has been increasing continuously for the last three months and has been putting a lot of pressure on farmers lately.

Fertilizer prices, which rose 33 percent in July, rose again by more than 16 percent month-on-month in August.

According to current TZOB data, in the past year, calcium ammonium nitrate fertilizers increased by 21.1 percent, 20.20.0 compound fertilizers increased by 18 percent, DAP fertilizers increased by 11.7 percent and urea fertilizers increased by 8.9 percent.

However, it was seen that there was no increase in fertilizer support in the 2023 agricultural support amounts announced yesterday. In other words, aid of 46 TL per decare will continue to be provided to wheat and barley producers, and aid of 21 TL per decare will continue to be provided to other producers.

The increases are not limited to just one year. Fertilizer prices were on the agenda in 2021, outpacing arable land prices in Anatolia.

TZD President Hüseyin Demirtaş then told sozcu.com.tr: “For one ton of fertilizer it is now possible to buy three acres of land in Central Anatolia.”

‘DETRACTION TO AGRICULTURE ACCELERATES, FOOD INFLATION INCREASES’ WARNING

Speaking to Sozcu.com.tr, Baki Remzi Suiçmez, President of the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers (ZMO) of TMMOB, criticized the fact that the supports provided were lower than these increases, while the rates of increase in the costs of The inputs were evident, and he made the evaluation: “These increases mean for farmers to plant, to withdraw from the field.”

Another criticism of Suiçmez, who said: “Not increasing last year’s diesel fuel support for fodder crops means ‘we don’t want these plants to be planted, we will not develop livestock`” is that the farmer does not know how much support he will receive. he will receive when planting the produce of it and when he will receive it…

“Late support is not support. “Inadequate support does not direct production,” said Suiçmez, noting that these and other similar decisions implemented in the agricultural sphere will accelerate the break with agriculture in the coming years.

Suiçmez said: “This situation distances farmers from the countryside and does not solve the problem of self-sufficiency. “The consumption problem cannot be solved without solving the production problem, and food inflation will continue to rise,” he warned.