“The Decision May Cause Irreparable Damage on the Production Side”
A. Akgün Altuğ, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sakarya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SATSO), issued a statement regarding the Ministry of Trade’s decision to suspend poultry meat exports.
In its announcement, the Ministry stated that regional developments affecting food markets, rising domestic demand, and seasonal changes in consumption trends have accelerated price movements. The measure aims to prevent potential market imbalances, protect consumers, and strengthen food supply security.
The Consumer Is Our Priority
Commenting on the issue, SATSO Chairman A. Akgün Altuğ said:
“This decision taken by our Ministry of Trade is a matter of sensitivity in terms of food supply security and ensuring consumers’ access to food at reasonable prices and conditions. Like our Ministry, our priority—especially in this inflationary period—is to ensure that our citizens have uninterrupted access to food at affordable prices.
However, in 2024, our poultry sector’s exports were restricted from May until the end of the year, resulting in significant export market losses. We are of the opinion that the current decision to completely suspend exports may lead to negative consequences for our exporting companies and the sector as a whole.”
Sakarya Ranks Among the Top Three in Production
“With its annual production capacity, Sakarya ranks among the top three provinces in poultry farming. The export restriction in question will also undermine our province’s production and export performance. Our members are both adversely affected and justified in expressing their concerns.”
Sanctions Affect the Entire Sector
“Our country will soon observe the holy month of Ramadan. We strongly oppose unjustified price increases, particularly in such a sensitive period. However, while necessary sanctions should be imposed on those engaging in unfair practices, the entire sector is now negatively affected by this measure.”
A Production Chain from Farms to Integrated Facilities
“Poultry white meat production constitutes a significant supply chain, extending from small and large rural farms to integrated processing facilities, and from there to domestic and international markets. Unfortunately, this decision will put companies—whose production planning is export-oriented and whose capacity does not drive domestic price increases—into a difficult position.
Moreover, production costs remain high for both producers and sellers. Ultimately, the main burden of this decision will fall on breeders and producers. Under current conditions, this decision may lead to serious and difficult-to-compensate losses for producers, and this should not be overlooked.”
Risk of Significant Market Loss and Damage to Exporters’ Credibility
“Our country is a major producer and exporter of poultry meat. At such an early stage of the year, this decision carries the risk of disrupting existing export contracts covering the entire year, losing international markets that have been built through years of effort, and damaging the reputation of Turkish exporters as reliable suppliers.
In the medium and long term, this situation may negatively affect production capacity, employment, and export revenues.”
A More Efficient Model Can Be Established
“Our priority is always the protection of consumers and the stability of the domestic market. However, we believe that decisions which do not undermine our companies’ competitiveness or reverse their gains in international markets would be healthier for the sector.
If necessary, a more efficient model could be developed by bringing together the sector and its representative professional organizations, increasing capacity where needed, and providing support mechanisms to meet both domestic and international demand. We hope that a balanced approach that also safeguards the sustainability of our sectors will be adopted.”
News Date : 10/2/2026