Leaf quota makes farmers distraught
AHMET BEŞER
BATMAN (DİHA) - TEKEL's, state-owned tobacco company, leaf quota of 200 kg and not buying more than this amount, makes farmers distraught. The farmers, who had to hire quota certificate, wanted the quota to be abolished or raised to 400 kg and Batman TEKEL Leaf Enterprise Directorate Production Planning Office Chief Yakup Öztürk stated that there is nothing they can do and the government is responsible for it.
Villagers, growing leaf in the villages of Kozluk, have problems with the leaf quota of 200 kg. Farmers can sell at most 220 kg of leaf with the 10% quota excess. The farmers, who cannot sell their most of their crop because of TEKEL quota, lose money. Remnant leaves are left to rotting because TEKEL do not buy them since they are old. Farmers hire quota certificate to sell all their leaf. A quota certificate market is formed in the city.
200-300 million is needed to hire a certificate and it is claimed that some of the certificate owners are not farmers. On the other hand the quota in Hatay is 400 kg. Farmers react against different quota practice and want a solution for their problems.
'We still have last year's leaf but we have to plant new leaf'
Farmer Ahmet Yaman in Yanıklı village, Kozluk stated that he still has 1 ton of leaf from last year and said: "TEKEL determined the quota as 200 kg and does not buy more. TEKEL also does not buy last year's leaf. Therefore we have to plant new leaf although we still have last year's leaf. We are in a very bad situation."
'We want the quota to be cancelled'
Seyîthan Baran drew attention that TEKEL does not give new quota certificate and stated that they produce nearly 2 tons of leaf yearly but they cannot sell most of them since the quota is 200 kilograms. Baran said: "TEKEL does not give new certificates. Therefore we have to hire certificates. They demand 250 million for certificate. Kozluk economy received a big blow. Many people had to migrate. Leaf quota made people distraught."
'Despite all these efforts we cannot earn money'
A farmer in Taşlıdere village Mehmet Sönük complained that they cannot remunerate and he said:
"We have to bring even our kids in swaddling to the field. We have to work in field altogether with the kids in this hot weather. Despite all these efforts we cannot earn money. Half of the crop is remained on hand because of quota. Some people cannot grow leaf anymore and hire their certificates. TEKEL decided the quota as 200 kg. The quota must be increased.
'Some of certificate owners are not farmers but have an influential person behind them'
Farmer Tayyip Abik in Kumlupınar village in Kozluk emphasized that he hires 7-8 "quota certificates" to sell his leaf and he reacted "I gave 200 million for each certificate this year. I plant leaf in my entire 20.000 square meter field. I produce 5 tons of leaf every year but half of it is not sold because of that quota. Everbody in our village is distrought of that quota. People of different occupations hire the certificates, they got by the help of influential person behind them, to the farmers. This hiring created an unearned income in Kozluk".
Chamber of Agriculture: The clashes did not cause this much of migration.
Kozluk Chamber of Agriculture chairman Fudayil Yüksel drew attention that they tried to increase the quota and stated that they prepared a report, gave it to the Prime Minister and the quota of 200 kg. is not enough for the farmers. Yüksel stated they wanted the quota to be increased to 400 kg and he said: "Quota is an important blow for the region. Many people migrated from Kozluk after the quota. The clashes did not cause this much of migration. Farmers are aggrieved. The population of Kozluk decreased from 30 thousand to 15 thousand. You cannot even buy a tractor wheel with the money earned from 200 kg of leaf. We want the authorities to listen to the farmers".
TEKEL: This is government's duty
Batman TEKEL Leaf Enterprise Directorate Production Planning Office Chief Yakup Öztürk stated the following about the situation:
"We know that the quota is not enough but it is not our duty to increase it. We are aware of farmers' problems. But there is nothing we can do. This is government's duty. In some places, where the leaf is exported, the quota is 400 kg. Hatay is one of these places. Except these places the quota is 200 kg. everywhere in Turkey. The government and Batman deputies should solve that quota problem."
(ab/ya/mç)
