The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli expressed that they had to spend less and less and earn more and more in agriculture and paradigm shift was needed for this; and continued as follows: "We will not distress and suppress the producers. We shall seek the ways for this. In the meantime we will pay utmost attention to the food inflation."
Visiting the AK Party Ödemiş District Centre Pakdemirli stated that he has been together and working with the organization for a long time due to his past in the party.
Referring to the importance of cooperatives, Pakdemirli indicated the necessity to find the way to make something together. Stating that he served as a manager in many sectors and also owned his own enterprises, Pakdemirli told as follows: "We also have the models of cooperatives but the number is very low. But the cooperatives abroad are acting like professional companies. We also have to find the ways to work together in terms of cooperatives."
Pointing out that he knew the problems of agriculture, the Minister Pakdemirli added that:
"What is the common problem, we spend more and more and earn less and less. We have to spend less and less and earn more and more. We need a structural change for this. We also need a paradigm shift. We will solve the problems which do not entail structural changes immediately. I am telling my bureaucrats that nothing is difficult if it is in favour of the nation, our country, the producers and the consumers. We will not distress and suppress the producers. We shall seek the ways for this. In the meantime we will pay utmost attention to the food inflation. There are millions of citizens who are not producers. They also will be more comfortable when they are shopping. They will not return to their homes with expensive shopping bags. We will be controlling these elaborately."
"We want to open for leasing "
Expressing that the Agriculture and Forestry were then within the separate ministries, but now the water and land would be unified, Pakdemirli added that "The State has very fertile lands. We want to make them available for leasing in the upcoming period. There comes the importance of cooperatives. We shall provide these leasings on the scales where a single or 3-5 persons will not be enough and then we will have the capability to carry out farming and livestock activities on these huge lands in line with the economy of scale."
Pakdemirli pointed out that the state should not hold very big lands and these lands should be provided to the citizens. Stating that these lands must be distributed fairly, contracted properly and avoided from inexpedient utilization, Pakdemirli expressed as follows "We will make a proper leasing contract. We will provide these lands to our people based on good contracts. There will both be a source of income for our producers and the consumers will be less affected from the food inflation thanks to the local products. "
"We have to provide a sustainable source of income for our producers"
In his response to the question of press members regarding the tomato price, the Minister Pakdemirli answered as follows: "Potato, tomato … All will increase and decrease day by day. We will be seeing these. The important thing is that; if we can transform a part of these products into industrial goods and can bring them to a point where we can create additional added value, we will have the ability to provide a sustainable source of income for our producers. Otherwise, we will just deal with the daily prices, increases and decreases for a lifetime."
Expressing that the Ödemiş District Center worked very hard for the June 24 elections, Pakdemirli also stated that more vote needs to be taken than June 24 in the local elections and the democracy and the presidential system should be settled.
AK Party İzmir Deputy Yaşar Kırkpınar and AK Party City Head Aydın Şengül also attended this visit.
Minister Pakdemirli then visited "Yeşil Bademli Agricultural Development Cooperative".
Making observations in Bademli Arboriculture Agricultural Development Cooperative premises, Pakdemirli also received information from the officials.