Five-year livestock roadmap targets self-sufficiency: Minister

ANKARA

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Yumaklı has announced Türkiye’s five-year livestock roadmap which plans to end livestock imports in three years by providing additional support to producers.

The ministry has initiated a program for breeders and milk producing enterprises to have superior breeds in milk and meat productivity which expects to yield results within two years, according to Yumaklı.

"You can get the milk or meat yield from five animals that you would get from ten animals, so why keep 10 animals? Our aim is to solve animal production locally in accordance with the realities of Türkiye, and to end this import issue completely in the third year at the latest," Yumaklı stated.

Noting that the ministry will switch to a support payment model for each baby livestock that is vaccinated and registered, Yumaklı said that additional support will be provided to family businesses, and young and women producers for the first time.

"We are increasing the number of beneficiaries by expanding IPARD support to 81 provinces. We provide additional discounts on subsidized loans to women, young people and planned production regions," Yumaklı said.

Stating that the loan upper limit per enterprise will be increased in animal husbandry, Yumaklı heralded an even higher limit for purified enterprises.

"With additional support, we aim to increase the number of purified enterprises from 1,136 to 2,000 in 2024 and 2,500 in 2025," he added.

Yumaklı explained that businesses that meet certain conditions will receive four times more support under the new model compared to the current situation.