Turkey imported $3 billion in animal feed in 2013

 The costs of animal husbandry in Turkey have increased due to the country's dependence on animal feed imports and depreciation of the Turkish lira against the U.S. dollar, according to a report by the Animal Husbandry Council launched at the seventh Sectoral Economy Council meeting on March 4.

President of the Turkish Feed Manufacturers' Association (TÜRKİYEM-BİR) Ülkü Karakuş spoke at the council meeting organized by the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB). He said animal feed imports have increased every year, and the increase in agricultural production has failed to meet the demand for animal feed. He said animal feed imports have increased by 5-10 percent every year.

The Animal Husbandry Council said, in order to decrease the amount of feed imports, feed crop plantation and efficient usage of grazing lands should be promoted. The council also urged the Food, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Ministry to devise a production plan, taking the climate and land conditions into consideration, in order to increase forage crop production while demanding a seasonal reduction in the customs tax imposed on forage crop imports.