Erden: There Is No Foot-and-Mouth Disease, There Has Been a Misdiagnosis and Unnecessary Panic

Speaking on the Agenda programme on Kıbrıs Postası, hosted by Ulaş Barış, Erden addressed a wide range of issues, from milk and meat prices to smuggling, difficulties in feed supply and state agricultural policies, saying that “the sector is being deliberately harmed through claims that are not based on evidence.”

Responding sharply to recent allegations, Erden argued that the public perception being created does not reflect reality. “There is no foot-and-mouth disease. If there were, it would have spread rapidly and uncontrollably in a very short time. There are serious inconsistencies that do not match the data on the ground,” he said.

“If There Were Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Production Would Fall — Instead, It Is Rising”

Erden stressed that milk production in affected farms would decline rapidly if foot-and-mouth disease were present, noting that recent data show the opposite trend. He said milk production had increased by around 50 tonnes over the past week. “On the one hand it is claimed there is foot-and-mouth disease, yet production is increasing at the same dairies. This shows the allegations are internally inconsistent,” he said. Erden added that there have been no animal deaths or serious productivity losses at the farms where the disease is alleged to exist.

“It May Be a Misdiagnosis”

Sharing his personal assessment, Erden suggested that the cases being raised may not be foot-and-mouth disease but could instead be Blue Tongue disease, which has similar symptoms. “This could be a different variant of Blue Tongue,” he said, also criticising the lack of transparency regarding analysis results said to have come from Ankara. “They say it is positive, but there is no document in the public domain. Statements made in this way damage the sector,” he said.

“An Atmosphere of Panic Has Been Created, and the Sector Has Suffered”

Erden said uncontrolled social media posts have put both the domestic market and export potential at risk, warning that the alarm has particularly created concerns in Middle Eastern markets. “Because of statements made by a few individuals, the country’s livestock and dairy sectors have been cast under suspicion,” he said.

Milk and Meat Prices: “We Cannot Compete”

Erden argued that frequent price increases for milk and meat products are misguided, noting that milk prices per litre are lower in Turkey and Europe. He said this has left local producers unable to compete, adding that domestic consumption does not meet production levels and that the gap has long been balanced by smuggled products entering from the south. He warned that the disruption of price balances has also led to an increase in smuggling.

Feed Crisis: “Price Increases Are Not the Solution”

Addressing problems in feed supply, Erden said raising prices would not solve the issue. “If feed is not arriving, increasing prices will not fix the problem. The state should open import channels from alternative countries,” he said, calling on the Ministry of Agriculture to take responsibility.

“There Is No Dramatised Picture”

Erden said problems related to feed and fodder in livestock farming were being exaggerated, adding that large and professional producers were not facing serious difficulties and that the impact was felt mainly by small-scale producers. “There is no collapse as portrayed. The issues are being deliberately dramatised,” he said.