30.10.2026 01:58
In Çorum, a video shared on social media by 58-year-old sugar beet producer Mustafa Ertuğrul to respond to farmers claiming that beet growers are making a loss became a trending topic. Ertuğrul, saying that 4 tons of the crop harvested per decare cover the costs, said, “We are left with a profit of between 10 thousand lira and 25 thousand lira per decare. The farmers who say ‘I am not making money’ are telling a complete lie.”
After the sugar beet harvest, a reaction to farmers who said on social media that they were making a loss also came from Çorum. Mustafa Ertuğrul, who farms 500 decares of land, argued that yields were very good this year and that sugar beet made producers smile.
“YIELDS ARE VERY GOOD THIS YEAR”
Mustafa Ertuğrul, who said he has been farming since childhood, said that this year he grew sugar beet, barley, wheat, sunflower, corn and onions on about 500 decares of land, and that he planted beets on 110 decares of it. Ertuğrul said, “I started farming by helping my father. Our profession is farming. Since we have land, we have to be farmers. Yields are very good this year. My Almighty Lord gave abundant yields; of course, for those who give thanks. If you do not give thanks, the yield is not good. If you give thanks, yields in barley, wheat, sugar beet, corn and sunflower were very good.”
“FEAR GOD, WHY ARE YOU LYING?”
Reacting to farmers who said on social media that they were making a loss, Ertuğrul said:
“Now there are farmers among us who do not know how to give thanks. If you plant this, you will do this farming. A man takes 5-6 beets in his hand on social media and says, ‘This one went on planting, one went on seed, water, electricity, hauling, lifting.’ Then he takes the smallest beet and says, ‘This one was left for me.’ Fear God, why are you lying? You are a farmer. As a farmer, I would be ashamed to say ‘I am not earning money.’ I am earning, brother, why shouldn’t I earn?”
“UP TO 15 TONS OF BEETS ARE HARVESTED PER DECARE”
Ertuğrul, stating that between 6 and 15 tons of beets are harvested from one decare, explained his calculation as follows:
“If you harvest 6 tons of beets, 4 tons go to expenses and 2 tons remain for you. If you harvest 10 tons of beets, 4 tons go to expenses and 6 tons remain for you. If you harvest 15 tons, calculate that upward. If this man is harvesting 4 tons of product, he should quit farming; he should not deal with farming. A yield above 7 tons leaves a very good profit. We are left with a profit of between 10 thousand and 25 thousand lira per decare. Farmers who say ‘I am not earning’ are lying completely.”
“WE ALSO NEED TO THINK ABOUT CONSUMERS”
Arguing that farmers are economically much better off than in previous periods, Ertuğrul recalled that a kilo of beet is 3 lira 75 kuruş and said that consumers also need to be considered. Ertuğrul said, “Twenty to 25 years ago, he could not buy a donkey, could not buy an ox, could not buy a horse, but now they have two or three tractors each, and one jeep each, the most luxurious car. Does this man have the right to cry? No. So what should we do now? Because I am losing money on beets, should I sell out the president or change the president? Is there another president? Show me one as a political leader. There is no other. For example, if I planted 100 decares today, it means I have received 1.5 million [lira]. Now the raw material is cheap. Now, if a kilo of this were 10 lira, at how many lira would you buy sugar from the market—100 lira, right? We also need to think about the consumer. After all, 8 kilos of beets become 1 kilo of sugar.”
“ONIONS LEAVE 60 THOUSAND LIRA PER DECARE”
Arguing that farmers can also earn high income from alternative crops, Ertuğrul used the following statements: “Some dishonest farmers among us forget 20 years ago and complain bitterly. What can the state do for you? If you do not stretch your feet according to your quilt [live within your means], what can the state do for you? You make a loss on everything. That is why we need to give thanks. Now some people are also crying because of onions, saying ‘they don’t bring in money.’ Why doesn’t it bring in money? If you harvest 5 tons of onions from a decare, at 20 lira. It brings in 100 thousand lira per decare. Subtract 40 thousand lira of the 100 thousand lira for expenses, and 60 thousand lira remain per decare.”
“EVEN IF I DON’T EARN MONEY, I WILL PRODUCE”
Ertuğrul continued:
“If you do not like farming, you will quit and go around freely. I am amazed at some farmers. As a farmer, I want to spit in the faces of farmers who say ‘I make a profit, I make a loss.’ They are lying. Even if I do not earn money, I will always produce. Because my Almighty Lord created me as a farmer. Whether I make a profit or a loss, I will sow. I have to sow. Because we are the producing segment. We exist for the citizen, we exist for the people. We will produce so that you can buy. If we do not produce, won’t the citizens of the Republic of Turkey be in difficulty? That is why we will come to our senses, appreciate our Turkey, appreciate our homeland, and continue producing.”