Main opposition CHP MP criticizes agriculture’s share in 2022 draft budget

* Photo: Nurallah Kalay / AA

Click to read the article in Turkish

Republican People's Party (CHP) Bursa MP Orhan Sarıbal says that the share allocated for agriculture in the 2022 Central Administration Budget, which was presented yesterday (October 20), is insufficient.

Referring to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Sarıbal argues that "the government has discarded farmers", slamming the draft budget as "a budget that does not support farmers, but the importers' lobby." According to Sarıbal, "the government tells farmers, 'Don't produce.' In its current form, the budget is a budget of poverty for farmers."

The main opposition MP notes that while a 30-percent increase was expected in the 2022 budget when compared to the previous one, the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will be increased by 26 percent.

Orhan Sarıbal raises concerns that the share of agricultural support in the Central Administration Budget Expenses has dropped from 1.6 percent in 2002, the year when the AKP came to power, to 1.5 percent in 2022.

The MP explains that "the share allocated for agriculture in the 2022 budget is less than its share in the budget 20 years ago."

Referring to Article 21 of the Agriculture Law enacted in 2006, Sarıbal underlines that the financial support allocated for agriculture shall not be less than 1 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. However, adds Sarıbal, this rate is 3 per thousand in the budget.

Noting that 25 billion 834 million lira of financial support is foreseen for agriculture in 2022, the MP says, "There is an increase of 3 billion liras. In fact, the price of diesel fuel per liter has increased by 2 liras in a year. Farmers diesel fuel expenses have increased by 6 billion in a year."

Orhan Sarıbal emphasizes that "the drafted budget is far from ensuring citizens' access to cheap and healthy food."

According to the MP, "the government tells farmers the following: 'I won't produce, but import. I have lost hopes on farmers. They don't have to produce. They can sell their lands and cattle and come to the city. I will handle them again with the culture of alms and charity. I have handed over food security and food sovereignty to foreign companies and foreign monopolies. I no longer have the possibility of controlling the food sovereignty or security for the citizens of Turkey."

Reiterating that the government does not want to support farmers but fosters import, Sarıbal says, "This budget is a budget of poverty for farmers. This is the budget of a new migration for farmers who do not produce and leave their homes and lands. This budget is a budget that leads to an increase in food inflation and maintains the food inflation. This budget is a budget that supports the crops cultivated in other countries, not on their own land'."

Concluding his remarks, the main opposition MP notes that "everyday this government stays in office, it causes irreparable damage to this country" and calls for elections as soon as possible: "They cannot harm the country more. Election right now. There is no other solution." (HA/SD)