Animal protection in Europe DE3-COM

Turkey is an important agricultural exporter, with agricultural exports estimated at $12.7 billion in According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 2010 report, Turkey ranks among the top 10 in the world when it comes to agricultural production. Despite such potential, the problems of the livestock industry in Turkey have not been resolved, while the sector faces significant hardships on the ground.

Domestic livestock The EU is the main trading partner for Turkish agricultural products.

However, this rosy picture about crop and vegetable production gets blurred when it comes to livestock farming -- except poultry and what is called “red meat” production in the country. This is also reflected by people’s agricultural products consumption habits in Turkey.

Domestic livestock Per capita consumption of red meat and milk is comparatively low. For example, per capita consumption of red meat in Turkey is about one-fifth of the EU average, and consumption of cows’ milk and eggs is, respectively, half and three-fourths of the EU level. Cheese and yoghurt are the preferred dairy products. Per capita consumption of sheep meat is higher than in the EU.

Domestic livestock The livestock sub-sector in Turkey, consisting mainly of cattle, dairy, buffalo, poultry, sheep and goats, includes traditional and commercial activities. Climatic and topographic conditions are favorable for fruit and vegetable production in the two coastal regions, namely the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, while predominantly rural and mountainous areas specialize in livestock and animal products.

However, there is a combination of factors that has contributed to the livestock sector’s difficulties in Turkey in recent years. The small herd sizes, combined with domestic agricultural policies, have contributed to a steep downward trend in livestock numbers over time. The livestock sector occasionally was beset with animal health problems such as foot and mouth disease and avian influenza in 2005.

Domestic livestock Beef production was relatively stable through the period of , at a level ranging between 338,000 tons in 1989 and 325,000 tons in 2009 per year; it is estimated to have reached 726,000 tons in However, together with the increasing population of Turkey and therefore the domestic demand and the major problems surrounding the livestock farming sector in the country, such an increase in meat production is clearly not sufficient. The outcome of the combination of these facts has been increasing meat prices in Turkey.

Domestic livestock The recent reports published in the Turkish media suggest that livestock farmers around the country have difficulty finding a slaughterhouse to sell their animals at those prices. As such, the cost of each animal that was not slaughtered on time is close to TL 200 (100Euro) a month. Considering there are almost 2 million bovine animals in Turkey the size of the loss is obvious.

It is experts’ opinion that in order to achieve a sustainable livestock farming sector in Turkey immigration from rural areas to big cities in Turkey’s east and southeast, where such a sector is dominantly a source of employment, should be reversed by introducing incentives and subsidies.

According to statistic data in 2009; Livestock cattle : 10,700 Livestock pigs : 2000 Livestock sheep and goats : 26,000