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The Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry in Turkey's northwestern province of Kırklareli will now charge fees from farmers for grazing livestock in pastures, winter quarters and uplands.
In an official letter entitled "Pasture Grazing Plan," the directorate has informed the farmers that they will be charged 10 lira (approx. 1.5 US dollars) per cattle and 2.25 lira per small cattle for grazing in common use areas such as pastures, winter quarters and uplands.
As for the ones who pasture a number of animals over the specified limit, they will be fined three times more than the above fees.
According to the official letter dated March 12 and sent to distribution points, the above fees will be in effect from May 1, 2020 to October 30, 2020 and from November 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021.
The letter has also urged the farmers to use the pastures in line with the specified rules "so that the pressures on the pastures can be eliminated and destruction of these pastures can be prevented."
Yıldırım: A routine practice, but...
Speaking to bianet about the issue, Ali Ekber Yıldırım, an agriculture columnist, says that this practice is not something new for Turkey as it has been in effect across the country since 2005-2006 season.
Pasture Commissions set up by the Provincial Directorates of Agriculture and Forestry determine how many animals can graze in the pastures each year and the fees to be paid within this context are also specified by these commissions, according to Ali Ekber Yıldırım.
'Fees collected are not used for the pastures'
Yıldırım reminds us that the Muğla Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry in the Aegean has reduced this year's fee for the cattle from 35 lira to 20 lira and for the small cattle from 7,5 lira to 4 lira.
Yıldırım underlines the following points within this context: "The letter sent by the Governor's Office of Kırklareli to distribution points is correct, but it is a practice implemented every year. There are animal breeders coming to pastures from outside. The state rents these places, in a sense.
"It is also based on a mentality to ensure that villagers protect the pastures themselves and appreciate their value when they pay for them.
"However, what needs to be questioned here is whether these collected fees are used for the improvement and regeneration of the pastures or not. Because this money is, most of the time, not used for these purposes and pastures disappear in the end." (HA/SD)
