Turkey’s dairy product exports to EU to restart

ANKARA- Anatolia News Agency

Six Turkish companies are approved to export dairy products to the European Union for the first phase. DAILY NEWS photo

Turkey has gained the right to export dairy products to the European Union once again after a period of 13 years, Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker announced yesterday.

“The EU’s Directorate General for Health and Consumers has confirmed that Turkish firms comply with EU standards for selling dairy products to the EU members. The legislation about the issue will enter into force on April 3,” Eker said at the introduction meeting of the dairy exports project, which is being carried out by the ministry and the Packaged Milk and Milk Products Industrialists Association (ASÜD).

The minister stated that Turkey’s dairy exports to the EU had been halted in 2000 when the union took a decision on dairy exports regulations and found Turkey’s standards low. He also said that Turkey had not been able to export dairy products to other countries that also applied the same EU standards. “Some Middle East countries did not import dairy products from Turkey because it could not be exported to the EU,” he said.

The EU did not allow Turkey to export dairy products because Turkey was not able to provide safeguards against animal diseases, did not take adequate measures on animal health, or provide control mechanisms in the dairy production phase, including hygiene and laboratory conditions.

Turkey complies with EU

This approval by the EU shows that the standards applied by the Turkish state, private sector and laboratories on animal health, animal products and the struggle against animal diseases are at the same level as the union, according to Eker.

He stressed that efforts had been made since 2006 to restart dairy exports to the EU. “A seven-year struggle has come to an end with a success,” he said.

Six Turkish firms have been approved to export dairy products to the EU for the first phase. They are Aynes Gıda, Pinar Süt, Ak Gıda, Tat Konserve Sek Süt İşletmesi, Natura Gıda and Unilever’s Algida.

Eker also noted that breeding incentives had increased to 2.2 billion Turkish Liras last year from 83 million liras, adding that they expected it to reach a better point this year.

He also revealed that a “Turkey Dairy and Meat Institution” would be established after Cabinet approval this week.