In Bursa, the tomato harvest being higher than expected led to tomato paste factories not purchasing enough tomatoes, causing the product to be undervalued and left in the fields.
In response to the farmers' grievances, the Ministry of Trade has announced support for tomato paste factories and taken significant steps to ensure tomatoes do not remain in the fields. AK Party Bursa Provincial Chairman Davut Gürkan, along with AK Party Members of Parliament Refik Özen and Mustafa Yavuz, visited tomato paste factories in Karacabey and Mustafakemalpaşa and revealed that the government will support factories that commit to purchasing a certain amount of tomatoes.
Farmers in Mustafakemalpaşa and Karacabey, who complained about the paste factories not buying their products, blocked the Bursa-Balıkesir road on August 8. The farmers, who blocked the road for approximately three hours, sought assistance from officials to resolve the issue. The then Governor of Bursa, Mahmut Demirtaş, had previously engaged with paste factories to prevent tomatoes from being left in the fields. Following this, AK Party Provincial Chairman Davut Gürkan, AK Party Bursa MP Refik Özen, AK Party Bursa MP Mustafa Yavuz, Bursa Agriculture and Forestry Director İbrahim Acar, AK Party Karacabey District Chairman Gültekin Saygısever, and AK Party Mustafakemalpaşa District Chairman Mutlu Turgut took action. The delegation visited and inspected the tomato paste factories in Karacabey and Mustafakemalpaşa.
AK Party Provincial Chairman Davut Gürkan stated that as a result of consultations with the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, special support will be provided to paste producers who purchase tomatoes at the specified price. He said, "We are having a very productive season in Karacabey and Mustafakemalpaşa. Compared to last year, the planting area has increased from 163,000 decares to 173,000 decares. This indicates a significant increase in production, with a 20% rise compared to last year. Bursa has regions that produce 25% of Turkey's tomato paste. It is the leading region in Turkey for tomato paste production. This area is putting significant effort into tomato production, which is why their expectations are high, and agriculture is shaped around these expectations. Last year, due to market prices surpassing contract prices, our farmers avoided contract prices this year. The excess production and lack of contracts caused some confusion at the start. Thankfully, we are now at the peak of the season. About 15-20 days from now, purchases will decrease, but I want to thank the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, the Minister of Trade, and our MPs for their significant efforts from the start of the season regarding farmers' requests. Recently, Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat announced that factories purchasing at a specified price range would receive support."
Davut Gürkan noted that the support from the Ministry of Trade is a significant morale boost for factories involved in production, purchasing, and national exports. He said, "The factory we visited today handles nearly 400,000 tons out of the 1.5 million tons produced in this region. They purchase around 4,000 to 5,000 tons daily. They are also trying to alleviate the farmers' concerns. If the factories continue to support purchases based on the assistance from our Ministry of Trade, I believe the process will be resolved to the satisfaction of both sides. I hope this prosperity also translates into commercial gains. As of today, a special support will be provided to producers purchasing at the determined price range, which will greatly benefit producers and address the excess production and recent production issues."
AK Party Bursa MP Refik Özen expressed, "We have been following this process from the beginning. We are here to see both the paste factories and the current situation of the farmers in the field. We are experiencing a fruitful year for all products. Issues with prices have arisen due to factors such as product abundance and the return of the international paste market. We have been working diligently to eliminate and minimize grievances from the start, and we continue to do so. I hope to see positive results from the steps we have taken."
AK Party Bursa MP Mustafa Yavuz added, "We have been monitoring the process from the beginning. We are pleased to see that the efforts are bearing fruit in the field. In our discussions with the factories, we observed a positive collaboration. Moving forward, we have experienced a period where agricultural insurance and contract farming are more clearly understood."