Lawmaker Criticizes Government Over Hazelnut Prices, Cites Producer Hardship

Elvan Işık Gezmiş, a lawmaker from the YENİ Party, brought the plight of hazelnut producers to the Turkish Parliament, holding a basket of hazelnuts and wearing traditional rubber boots to symbolize their labor. She criticized the government for abandoning producers, who rely on hazelnuts for their livelihood.

“

Today, the hearts of the loyal, hardworking people of the Black Sea are beating in the hazelnut orchards. Green hazelnuts have hit the market, but a price has still not been announced. Costs have increased exponentially, and producers are simply told to 'wait.'

Gezmiş emphasized that hazelnuts are more than just a crop; they are integral to the culture, economy, and social fabric of the Black Sea region. She recalled that in the early years of the Republic, hazelnut export revenues helped pay off foreign debts and fund industrial investments. Today, however, she stated, producers are left to their own fate.

Quoting the renowned Turkish author Yaşar Kemal, Gezmiş said, "A person's place in the universe is not as big as their body, but as big as their heart." She noted that the hearts of the hardworking people of the Black Sea are in their hazelnut orchards. Despite the green hazelnuts hitting the market, no price has been announced, while costs have soared, leaving producers with only the instruction to "wait."

“

The TMO must announce the base hazelnut price as at least 350 TL before the harvest and update it in the face of rising inflation. A quality difference of at least 10 percent must be given for Giresun quality hazelnuts, grown with great effort on steep and rugged terrain. Support policies that will keep producers afloat in the face of rising costs must be implemented without delay.

The lawmaker accused the government of policies that have made it impossible for farmers to produce and have converted fertile agricultural lands into mining sites. She warned that future generations will ask why these lands are barren and hazelnut production has ceased. Gezmiş called for the Turkish Grain Board (TMO) to announce a minimum hazelnut price of at least 350 Turkish Lira, adjusted for inflation, and to provide a quality premium for Giresun hazelnuts. She urged the implementation of support policies to sustain producers amidst rising costs.

“

Our nation says about the ruling party officials who ignore our hazelnut producers, 'They attack the flock with wolves at night and cry with the shepherd during the day.'