Turkish Breeders Protest Pasture Issues, Report Animal Deaths

Livestock breeders in Tunceli's Ovacık district are voicing strong discontent over the allocation of high-altitude pastures, reporting severe conditions that have led to the death of numerous animals. Meral Kanar, identified as the largest female breeder in the region with 3,000 small ruminants, claims her designated pasture remains covered in snow and inaccessible. She asserts that the pastures are being distributed unfairly, leaving her and others in a dire situation. Kanar stated, "What should we do? They should find a solution for us. If they don't, should we load our livestock and dump them in front of the governorship, or the provincial agriculture directorate? We will do that as a last resort." She explained that while in previous years villages shared pastures collectively, recent years have seen parcels allocated by pasture commissions or village headmen. This year, her village's pasture was taken away, and the assigned area, Göldere and Ayvaz Valley, is difficult to reach, requiring helicopter access. Kanar is concerned about transporting her 3,000 dairy animals to such a location. Adding to the distress, Kanar reported that her animals are falling ill due to the heat, with about 250 sheep per day suffering from jaundice. In the past month alone, 30 to 40 animals have died. She challenged anyone to call for an excavator to exhume buried animals as proof of her losses. She emphasized that the currently unused pastures have sufficient capacity for her herd, but local producers are unwilling to accept her animals. "The capacity of the pasture is for 5,000-6,000 sheep. But the number of herds going up doesn't reach 3,000. If my animals go, the capacity will be filled. But they don't accept me, they don't let me go up," Kanar said. Necmettin Seyit, a shepherd working for Kanar, corroborated the hardship, stating that sheep are constantly restless due to a lack of fodder and water, leading to deaths. Ibrahim Aslan, head of the Mercan Valley Culture and Solidarity Association, called for state intervention, highlighting the poor road conditions hindering access to the mountains and the ongoing struggle of producers to clear snow-covered paths even in early July.

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What should we do? They should find a solution for us. If they don't, should we load our livestock and dump them in front of the governorship, or the provincial agriculture directorate? We will do that as a last resort.