TEKIRDAG, Türkiye, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- For Ayhan Gul, 58, who manages a herd of 440 dairy cattle at Agabey Farm in northwestern Türkiye, life is becoming increasingly untenable due to the rising costs.
Situated in the fertile agricultural heartland of the Thrace region in Tekirdag province, Gul's farm produces between 4,300 and 4,400 liters of premium milk each day, supplying larger companies.
However, despite the high output, Gul's profits have dwindled, becoming insufficient to cover rising expenses.
"The cost of raw materials and everything else keeps rising," Gul told Xinhua at his farm, highlighting the significant impact of escalating feed and gasoline prices.
Currently, a 50-kg sack of feed costs 650 Turkish liras (around 18.24 U.S. dollars), up from 380 liras last year. "With 440 animals eating 12-13 kg each daily, the costs add up quickly," Gul exclaimed.
Gul's family tries to grow cattle feed themselves to reduce expenses. However, since a balanced diet is necessary for animal health and productivity, they still need to buy additional feed.
Rising gasoline prices have further inflated costs, with Gul's monthly expenses reaching up to 50,000 liras. "I can't see ahead," he said.
The Turkish Dairy, Meat, and Food Industry Enterprises Association has recommended increasing the price of cold milk to 23.52 liras per liter in 2025, citing the rising production costs. However, the National Milk Council, which determines market prices, has announced that raw milk pricing will remain at 17.15 liras per liter.
Mehmet Yorulmaz, head of the Selcuk village where Agabey Farm is located, said rising costs have put significant pressure on farmers, particularly those with smaller-scale operations.
"Many farmers are struggling to make ends meet, selling their animals and moving to larger cities in search of new opportunities," he said. "Forty years ago, our village had around 300 households, each with livestock. Today, only 100 households remain, and just 10 still have animals."
Serif Baykut, president of the Tekirdag Suleymanpasa Dairy Producers Union, encouraged family businesses to unite through cooperatives or local unions in villages to help lower costs. He suggested creating communal barns and shared milking centers to share the expenses more effectively.
To assist farmers, the government is offering a subsidy of 1,000 liras per calf head and a one-time bonus of 1,000 liras for female entrepreneurs.
The dairy industry plays an important role in Türkiye's economy. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, commercial dairy businesses collected 10.3 million tons of cow's milk from January to November 2024, a 10.1 percent increase compared to the same timeframe in 2023. ■
