Food Sector Problems and Solutions Suggestions from Belgin Çekmen Altay

Aydın Chamber of Commerce Board Member Belgin Çekmen Altay talked about the recent problems in the food industry and solutions that can eliminate these problems.

AYTO Board Member Belgin Altay stated that the problems experienced in food supply and price increases caused negativities in the sector.

Altay said, "Due to the increase in costs and increasing costs, the producer has become unable to produce. The increase in sugar stocks by the big food companies, which are strong and monopolized in producing sugary products, after the price hikes in sugar, reduced the amount of sugar put on the market and made it difficult for small enterprises to access sugar raw materials.

Sector representatives who cannot obtain sugar from sugar factories should be listened to. The shrinking raw material market and the increased raw material costs in 2021 could not be reflected in the producer's costs, and the producer could not replace the raw material at the same price when the raw material was consumed. In 2022, both the difficulty of accessing raw materials and the increase in the price of raw materials caused many enterprises to not be able to protect their capital.

The increase in diesel unfortunately causes an increase in other raw materials as well. The contraction experienced in the food and agriculture sectors should be seen as soon as possible. The ease of access to raw materials, the ease of payment for raw materials, and the incentives to support production should be removed. By establishing raw material banks for sugar, flour, oil, etc., basic raw material products should be brought together with small manufacturers at ex-factory prices."