Turkey's school milk tender to be renewed

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

The tender for the purchase of milk to be delivered to schools is canceled. DHA photo

The Agriculture Ministry announced yesterday that a tender, as part of the “School Milk Project,” was not approved due to the fact that the bid unit prices were high and said that it would be relaunched.

The tender held on Nov. 12 for the purchase of around 300 million boxes of milk to be delivered to schools was canceled by the ministry.

The tender divided the country’s seven regions into four zones. Ak Gıda presented an offer worth 176.7 million Turkish Liras while Dimes-Pınar joint venture submitted a 177.6-million-liras bid for distributing milk in four zones. Also, there were other bidders that submitted offers for one zone or many zones.

However, the ministry said the average bid unit prices in zones was 45,38 kuruş at the tender held in January but it was 57,53 kuruş at the latest one; a 27 percent rise.

“By regarding the costs of production, logistics expenditures and the inflation rates, it is reviewed that the gap [between two bid unit prices] isn’t normal. The tender, which is done by considering public interests wasn’t approved for this reason,” the ministry said in a written statement.

The ministry will renew the tender that will enable the distribution of boxes of milk to the schools by the beginning of the second semester of the 2013-2014 academic year.