16.03.2025 11:21
The meat sold at low prices by the Meat and Milk Institution has piqued the interest of butchers and restaurants. Businesses that buy the cheaply sold meat and sell it at double the price are sending 4-5 people to the ESK to make purchases in order to exceed the weight limit, while citizens are left without access to the cheap meat.
According to the news by Cevdet Fırat Aydoğmuş from Türkiye Gazetesi, butchers who purchase the cheap meat sold by the Meat and Milk Institution (ESK) are selling it at double the price. Butchers are buying meat separately from ESK with 5 people to exceed the weight limit, while the meat that is supposed to be sold in the market in two or three days runs out in just a few hours. Consumers are unable to access the cheap meat due to the insufficient supply.
"MEAT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE SOLD IN 2-3 DAYS RUNS OUT IN A FEW HOURS"
Faruk Güzeldere, the Chairman of the Board of the Istanbul Food and Necessities Retailers Association (Istanbul PERDER), stated that a limit of 2 kilograms per person has been imposed on meat sales so that everyone can access cheap meat, saying, "Because we witness that the meat that is supposed to be sold in the market in two or three days runs out in just a few hours. Some butchers and restaurant owners, seeing that the meat is cheap in our markets, sometimes send a few people to the market to try to buy all the meat on the shelves. For example, five people come to the front of the market with one car and buy two kilograms of meat each. When you look at it, they are buying meat separately, but the meat is going to the same place. We are trying our best to ensure that every citizen can access meat, but there are also such negative situations. It is not possible for market employees to determine where and to whom the meat is going," he said.
"THIS OPERATION IS A VERY LABORIOUS OPERATION"
Güzeldere pointed out that consumers disrupt the supply-demand balance by stockpiling when they see that the meat is affordable, saying, "We say 'Buy every day, buy cheap.' Because many people have contributed to this project. Our staff works tirelessly, day and night. This operation is a very laborious operation. Our staff is making the meat supplied as carcasses boneless and striving to deliver it to households at affordable prices. At this point, we all need to approach this matter more sensitively and fairly," he evaluated.
PRICES STABLE UNTIL THE END OF RAMADAN
Faruk Güzeldere stated, "Within the framework of the protocol we made with ESK, we had aimed to stabilize meat prices until the end of Ramadan. The implementation continues until the end of Ramadan. In local chain markets that are members of the association, minced meat is sold at 379 lira per kilogram, diced meat at 399 lira, steak at 649 lira, ribeye at 699 lira, and beef chop at 699 lira," he expressed.