Arda Yüceege: Who is Mahmut Eskiyörük? Would you like to talk a bit about yourself?
Mahmut Eskiyörük: I have been a farmer for 35 years and a director for 25 years. I couldn’ t graduate from university because of the existing conditions in those past years. I have started to work as a farmer after soldiery. In this long run process, I have realised that; husbandry is being exploited and recompenses can not be received. In this sense; I have been struggling for 25 years. Because, cooperation is the truest way for the solutions of economical and social problems in today’ s world. As starvation, obesity and disrupted balances are thought; finding solutions for the issues such as terror, anarchy and firefight are going to be possible with cooperation. Besides; sustainability for small family businesses, will be provided with this concept. Accordingly, I have been informing Turkey and clarifying people about the cooperation model which is created against terror. Thus, i have been carrying on my struggle in the sector.
Arda Yüceege: What is the life story of Tire Dairy Cooperative?
Mahmut Eskiyörük: I ran for president upon the demand of Tire Dairy Cooperative partners in 2002 and was nominated. In nineteen nineties, the plains were full of cottons and there were cotton croplands around. In the sequel, farmers plunged into another quest and animal breeding is put into practice. In those years, Pınar established a milk factory. This circumstance established confidence for the farmers and they got rid of their marketing and selling fears. In dairy farming, we have been in cooperation with Pınar for 40 years. We grew together in the sector and while the milk capacity of Tire Dairy Cooperative was about 25- 28 tone, nowadays; this amount increased to 300 tone.
Arda Yüceege: What are your activity fields and targets as a cooperative?
Mahmut Eskiyörük: The basis of a sample cooperative system is protectiveness. In order to protect the producers; their earnings should be increased. As Tire Dairy Cooperative; we have some services such as giving cheap heavy fuel in order to satisfy the needs of producers in feed crop production. In addition to our feed and fertilizer connection, we also have concentrated feed, roughage and production factory. We give seeding, sawing and packaging services with our machine park in croplands of the producers. Moreover, we provided attribution of the inputs to the cheaper by satisfying the production needs of their animals and croplands; buying their milk and animals. Thus, we are improving our quality day by day. In the year of 2004, we became a first company which collects controlled milk by conserving it under cold chain. This is the most important factor for our preferability as Tire Süt. We sell our products a bit more expensive than today’ s market conditions and make payment to the producers in higher amounts. Additionally to all of these; we have a small- scale meat and milk production factory. We took the lead of school milk in Turkey by converting our 25- 30 tone milk to goods and have distributed our own pasteurized milk to children for 5 years by being in cooperation with İzmir Metropolitan Municipality.
A country- wide school milk project has recently started. In addition to this; there is a milk delivery project which is being applied by going from door to door and delivering milk to 125 thousand of families by being in cooperation with İzmir Metropolitan Municipality.
We have more than 2000 partners under favour of the cooperative model that we adopted. Thus, we provided unity and solidarity. Because, we never discriminated anyone and as a result; we became as strong as a family. From this point of view; the most important factor is reliability. Loyalty and attendancy of the producers are going to be permanently provided. And I believe that; if we succeed to establish Tire Dairy Cooperative in each district of Turkey, we are going to absorb ourselves lots of things. Because, our producers are going to feel themselves safe and black economy is going to be destroyed, besides; production planning, price stability and food security are going to be provided.
Through cooperativeness, both marketing security of producers and product procurement guarentee of industrialists are going to be ensured.
Apart from that; efficiency in Tire Dairy Cooperative is reduplicated in comparison to Turkey. Annual milk efficiency of small and middle businesses in our farms is about 7 tone. In this regard; we are equivalent to Europe. As being one of our targets thereafter; we developped a farm project which is aimed at providing continuity and sustainability for the family businesses.
Animal breeding should be made by the farmers. Otherwise; problems are possible to face with because of the businesses in management which are unrelated with agriculture. Therefore, agriculture shouldn’ t pass in other hands.
Arda Yüceege: What sort of suggestions can you give about cooperativeness in the animal breeding sector?
Mahmut Eskiyörük: We became an industry leading company by provide training for our agricultural engineers. Çamlı, also increased its’ efficiency by training engineers within the scope of its’ company about sufficient and healthy feeding. At this point, there are some crucial developments in animal health.
From this point of view; we give due importance to preventive medicine. There is an exemplary and directive structure in our Cooperative and we are going to continue developing more and more. Coming together with small family businesses, studying on new projects and converting them to partner businesses should be our primary policy. In other words; Turkey should initially adopt cooperativeness and have the potential for satisfying needs of the whole country population. On the contrary of an underdeveloped Turkey which import animals; we should improve ourselves by determining a road map with cooperativeness and become an exporting country. Apart from these, we should feed animals consciously and sufficiently that; our producers can earn more money. At this point; it is possible to face with a problem; which can be explained as while milk prices rise, the rate of feed selling increases. This means that; if they can not earn money from milk, they are decreasing their feed intake. In fact; feeding programme of the animals shouldn’ t be changed however the market conditions are. Because, if animals are not fed properly, they are going to face with various diseases such as repeat breeding, infertility, etc. From this point of view; it should be emphasized that; sufficient feeding is a must for the animals in order them to get the whole minerals that they need. Breeding is made in a closed area in our cooperative. Because of this fact; animal feeding should be made more carefully. Accordingly; we have significant studies about consciousness raising for our producers.
Arda Yüceege: When did your cooperation start with Çamlı? What are your expectations from this cooperation in terms of development?
Mahmut Eskiyörük: While milk efficiency in Turkey increases in the ratio of 70 with the existence of Tire Dairy Cooperative, it increased in the ratio of 440 in Tire. These observed values are the substantial evidences in order to show that; this ‘ cooperativeness ‘ model is the right model to go on.
Our studies with Çamlı, principally base on the products of Tire Dairy Cooperative. Moreover; we have a fason feed with our own brand in which the feed of Çamlı is inside. This can be stated as a good example for our efficient cooperation with Çamlı.
Arda Yüceege: Would you like to express your thoughts about the future of the sector?
Mahmut Eskiyörük: The problems in this sector couldn’t be resolved anyway. The most important reason for this is definitely the unplanned production and planning deficiency. Currently, there is a milk surplus besides meat deficieny. It is because of being holstain race- based. Preferring this race; disturbed the balances. If these were hybridized with the races such as simmental, brown swiss, etc., there wouldn’ t be any milk or meat crisis. Due to these reasons; we are continuing to make our suggestions. These are also included in the scope of stand-by by the Ministry. I am a farmer and a producer too. I am also seeding my cows with simmental. Because the carcase weigh of them are more than 50 kg when they are slaughtered and this amount is important in terms of durability. The living spaces of animals are less because of the reason that; they are breeded in bad conditions. Therefore, planning has a crucial importance. Turkey should produce milk and meat as needed. Because we don’ t have chance to compete with other world countries. Although the most expensive milk and eat are in Turkey, because of our high costs and unfavorable climate conditions, we are in the producer positions who earn at least. Additionally, our chance for exporting milk is very low. Besides, we are out for meat in the world. That’ s why, milk and meat should not be produced more than needed.
While livestock breeding is suitable in the east region of Turkey, it is not the same in the west region. From this point of view; dairy farming is suitable in the west side and livestock breeding is suitable in the east side. Producer, industrialist production and industry are inseparable wholes at this juncture. Marketing of milk should be made with the decisions of cooperatives and making preferences are important for the quality and healthy milk.
Cooperativeness has a crucial importance for our country that a direct cooperation with industrialists and cooperatives is required. I hope to face with new developments in the upcoming periods and rising generation to want to build their carrier in this sector. If we can provide guarentee for them, they are going to take place here undoubtedly. In fact, we have lots of strengths in terms of climate and soil productiveness. If these sources are evaluated properly, I believe that we are going to obtain various acquisitions.
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