CHP deputy: Soil Products Office to sell imported wheat at loss

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The Soil Products Office (TMO) will sell imported wheat at loss in October, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Ömer Fethi Gürer has announced.

On August 25, the TMO imported durum wheat for 300 dollars (2,450 lira) per ton and will sell it for 261 dollars (1,950 lira), he said (1 dollar = 7.47 lira).

The purchase price of common (bread) wheat was announced as 1,650 lira and durum (pasta) wheat was 1,800 lira in May, Gürer noted.

"The AKP government, which bought durum wheat from local producers for 1,800 lira. After the harvest, it imported wheat from foreign countries for 330 dollars (2,450 lira) in August," said Gürer.

"After the import, the TMO announced the domestic market sale price in October and this time announced that it would sell durum wheat for 1,950 lira. The reason for this situation was explained as 'market balance'. The TMO sells durum wheat to the domestic market for 1,950 lira, 500 TL below the import price per ton," he added.

Turkey imported 500,000 tons of wheat and 60,000 tons of barley, Gürer noted.

"It's only been two months since the harvest. Producing 20 million tons of wheat and importing 10 million tons of wheat is not a sustainable method," Gürer remarked.

"In 2002, our farmers could buy 33 grams of gold when they sold one ton of wheat. As they can buy three grams of gold when they sell a ton of wheat in 2020, the AKP government should think about that," he added. (HA/VK)