Calling attention to fact that meat processing facilities in the TRNC were not able to find meat for processing, the Chamber of Industry said that “controlled permission” should be issued for importing frozen meat for helping the meat processing facilities to survive, otherwise closure of these facilities, which had significant investments in the TRNC would be inevitable. In a written statement issued on December 10, the Chamber stressed that it was unacceptable and an unjust situation where the manufactured meat products market was free while raw material market was forbidden.
At its written statement, the Chamber of Industry said that they were expecting a joint study to be done with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to find a solution to the problem.
The statement which pointed at the recent shortage in cattle, suitable for butchering, said that the government had no healthy statistical information indicating the situation of the stock-breeding sector.
The statement, which said that despite not having statistic on cattle, the government was encouraging slaughtering of the cattle through premiums, said:
“Recently, there is a shortage in cattle suitable for butchering in the country. Moreover, unfortunately the government does not have healthy statistics indicating the situation of the stock-breeding sector.
Despite that it did not have any statistics regarding the cattle, the government encouraged these with premiums and have them slaughtered. Recently there is serious a shortage of cattle in the country. This shortage caused raise in livestock prices almost by creating its own black market. This shortage has reached such a level now a days that it has reached folded the world market levels four times. The meat processing facilities of the country with millions of dollars worth of investments, could not find meat to process. Despite this, import of processed meat is free while importing frozen meat is forbidden. Factories are facing serious crisis and production of processed meat has come to a halt.
Having a free manufactured meat market and banned raw material market is an unacceptable and unjust situation.
Not only facilities that process meat but also butchers are undergoing shortage of cattle suitable for butchering. They had to buy livestock suitable for butchering they have found for high prices, and these astronomical prices inevitably reflect to consumer prices.
Importing frozen meat should be allowed under control for survival of meat processing facilities. Otherwise, closure of these facilities which have significant investments in the country will become inevitable.
Chamber of Industry expects creating a solution for the problem by working together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.”

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