Crisis signals in raw milk price
İRFAN DONAT
The fact that the National Dairy Council (USK) did not change the raw milk reference price for nearly a year created crisis signals in the sector.
USK, which revised its cost account upwards twice in the same period, announced the cost of raw milk as 10.54 TL on its official website, while keeping the recommended selling price of raw milk as 8.50 TL created controversy.
The fact that the promises made to the sector representatives that the reference price would be revised upwards in July were still not fulfilled, created discomfort in the sector, where costs are increasing day by day.
All Dairy, Meat and Cattle Breeders’ Association (TÜSEDAD), criticizing the USK’s failure to publish a raw milk recommendation price for the last 10 months, shared the following statement with the public: “However,
During this period, the same institution calculates the cost of 1 lt of raw milk and the cost is declared for 8 months.
is above the quoted price. The USK, which contradicts itself, is unfortunately in the regulation.
It does not explain the raw milk recommendation price, which is one of its duties, and on the contrary, it does not explain the cost.
under It also publishes the price on its website as if it is still valid.”
In the statement, which noted that the situation in question both damaged the prestige of USK and caused important problems in terms of the predictability and sustainability of the sector, “For this reason, the recommendation price of 1 liter of raw milk, which will keep the sector in balance and ensure the continuity of production supply, is based on the cost calculated by our association every month. It is suggested as 15 TL/lt with an average profit of 20 percent to be put in.
TUSEDAD also shared the details of the said cost calculation in a tabular form.
“MILK FEED INCREASED 35%, roughage increased 100%”
Another criticism of USK’s policy came from the Adana Farmers’ Union.
Stating that the 8.50 TL raw milk recommendation price, determined by the National Milk Council with the approval of the Food Committee, was announced in October 2022 and that the reference price has not been persistently renewed despite the increasing costs since then, Adana Farmers’ Association President Mutlu Doğru said, “However, after this date, 9 Dairy feed was 35 percent, roughage such as straw, corn silage and alfalfa purchased in bulk annually was approximately 100 percent, and the minimum wage, which was 5 thousand 500 TL in October 2022, reached 11,400 TL today with an increase of 107 percent,” he said.
True, “Although some companies that cannot find milk with excessive cow slaughter in the free market increase the price, intermediaries and milk collectors do not show the USK recommendation price to small producers producing 10 heads or less, which meets 85 percent of the total production, and this causes our farmers to withdraw from production. In fact, all industrialists pulled prices back on the pretext that the market contracted after the New Year’s.
In the statement, the following statements were included: “USK, which announced the production cost of 1 liter of raw milk for June in Turkey as 10.54 TL, still continues to publish its recommendation price as 8.50 TL on its website. The current raw milk production cost is determined by our ministry, which is valid in advanced countries in animal husbandry. Considering the welfare share of our producer, the raw milk recommendation price should be increased to 13.00 TL, and the raw milk support premium should be increased to 0.70 TL for all producers, without discrimination, in order to ensure the milk/feed parity accepted in Turkey, the continuity of raw milk production and the slaughter of cows.
After the statements from the sector representatives, the eyes were turned to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Food Committee together with the USK.
