Gübretaş threatens public health

Ali Can POLAT

While Turkey grapples with rising food inflation due to the economic crisis, the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives, a public institution established to support agriculture, are constantly in the news due to strikes and scandals. Gübretaş, a subsidiary of the cooperative responsible for providing farmers with affordable, healthy fertilizer, has been unable to produce for 103 days due to the strike, and the intransigence of Gübretaş management has threatened agricultural production. Farmers have been denied affordable fertilizer and are left at the mercy of counterfeit fertilizer sellers and private companies. Gübretaş management is accused of failing to make any effort to reach an agreement with workers and resume production, causing significant losses for both the institution and the farmers.

MONTHLY PRICE INCREASED BY 9 PERCENT

Fertilizer prices in Türkiye have increased by between 30% and 70% in the past year. Against this backdrop, Türkiye's largest fertilizer producer, the public company Gübretaş, has been without production for over three months.

Baki Remzi Suiçmez, President of the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Statistical Institutes of Turkey (TMMOB), said in a statement to Sözcü that Gübretaş is pushing farmers towards counterfeit products. "According to TÜİK data, fertilizer prices increased by 9 percent monthly in July alone, the month the strike began. This pushed farmers, already in debt, into using counterfeit fertilizers and pesticides. These counterfeit products have become a threat to plant health, soil and water health, and indirectly, human health," he said.

According to Tarımdanhaber.com, it was reported that after CHP Leader Özgür Özel brought up the Gübretaş strike, reactions from within the AKP towards Agricultural Credit Cooperatives General Manager Hüseyin Aygün increased, and some politicians, along with Türk-İş, stepped in to resolve the strike.

Give both workers and farmers their due

Baki Remzi Suiçmez, President of the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB), stated that Agricultural Credit Cooperatives, because they don't produce their own fertilizer, are purchasing it from private companies and distributing it to farmers. He said, "This situation is unsustainable. The institution must put an end to this situation immediately and give workers their due by ensuring the happiness of both farmers and workers. Otherwise, fertilizers imported illegally and produced domestically will become widespread." Suiçmez called on the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to issue a statement on this matter.