Unions and producers demand lower meat prices and creation of a cooperative for competition

Unions and industry associations announced their intention to provide the public with affordable meat.

The press conference was attended by the Cyprus Turkish Teachers' Union (KTÖS), the Electric Company Workers' Union (EL-SEN), the Municipal Employees' Union (BES), the Union of Livestock Producers and Breeders, and the Butchers' Union.

The head of the Livestock Producers' Union, Adil Onalt, thanked the unions for organizing the meeting and emphasized that the priority is supporting producers and maintaining domestic production.

According to him, the problem of meat prices remains chronic. The main reason is the high cost of production.

Onalt noted that to solve the issue it is necessary to:

• create a strong cooperative,
• optimize slaughterhouse operations,
• centralize livestock collection and classification,
• establish a transparent pricing mechanism,
• if necessary, import meat without harming local producers.

He also stated that the government must make a concrete contribution to reducing production costs and supporting the cooperative model.

The head of the Butchers' Union, Rashit Şenkaya, called the meat situation "an old and painful problem." According to him, talks about "the economy flowing to the south" have been going on for years, yet no systemic solution has been found so far.

Şenkaya emphasized that rising prices are directly related to producers' costs. In this context, the creation of a cooperative is being considered, which, with government support, could offer competitive prices and provide a real alternative to the southern market.

"Our goal is to provide society with quality and affordable meat without harming the producer," he said.

Participants of the meeting expressed confidence that joint actions of unions, producers, and the state will stabilize the market and make meat more accessible to the public.