Lamb meat prices cause controversy

ISTANBUL

Meat product prices have stirred a controversy between the heads of the associations of breeders and butchers.

Reacting to reports saying that meat prices could be hiked 24 percent in the upcoming days, Nihat Çelik, the head of the sheep and goat breeders’ association TÜDKİYEB, accused butchers and brokers of unfair pricing, labeling them as “the meat lobby.”

“We have an animal volume of 58 million,” he said, noting that a lamb is sold by breeders to butchers for 70 Turkish Liras ($4.7) per kilogram on average, but a kilogram of lamb meat cubes is sold for up to 200 liras ($13.6).

“The price of a kilogram of meat cubes should not exceed 110 liras [$7.5],” he said.

He also urged the government to increase the number of shops run by the Meat and Milk Institution (ESK) and intervene in the market through those shops. Currently, there are only 18 state-run ESK shops across Turkey.

On the other hand, Butchers’ Federation President Fazlı Yalçındağ said that operational costs, including electricity bills and rents, are very high.

“If he knows anything wrong about these issues, he should apply to the authorities to submit a complaint,” he said.