Meat industry

Turkish police seized over a ton of smuggled meat in the Enez district of the western province of Edirne bordering Greece on April 4, in the latest attempt to smuggle cheaper meat into the country.

To help promote National Butchers’ Week, Meat Trades Journal launched a competition to find the sexiest butcher in UK. Its aim was to provide a platform for butchery businesses to promote the trade and help to endorse the industry as a sexy and relevant career path to take.

Turkish police and Coast Guard teams seized over 2.5 tons of smuggled meat, probably from Greece, in two separate operations in the Enez district of the northwestern province of Edirne on March 15, officials have said.

During routine checks, Enez Coast Guard teams noticed bags that were being transferred from a vessel to a vehicle parked in the Enez port.

Turkish police and Coast Guard teams seized over 2.5 tons of smuggled meat, probably from Greece, in two separate operations in the Enez district of the northwestern province of Edirne on March 15, officials have said.

During routine checks, Enez Coast Guard teams noticed bags that were being transferred from a vessel to a vehicle parked in the Enez port.

Germany might be renowned the world over for its sausages, but it seems this about to change. The large influx of refugees and illegal immigrants into the country has led to the decision by many vendors to withdraw all pork related food from canteens, schools and childcare centers in order to avoid offending the newly arrived Muslims.

The Agriculturalists Association of Turkey (TZOB) has voiced opposition to a government decision to permit meat imports, saying the rise in domestic red meat production rules out the need for imports.

The government, however, has claimed the price of imported meat will not exceed local production costs as the main aim is to increase the number of animals. 

The Food and Agriculture Ministry has decided to impose a price ceiling for red meat in a bid to control recent rises.

According to new price regulations announced by Minister Faruk Çelik on Feb. 9, the maximum price for a kilo of ground meat will be 32 Turkish Liras (around $11), while the maximum price of a kilo of diced meat will be 34 liras. 

The customs duties for livestock and red meat imports from the European Union have been zeroed for the state-run Meat and Milk Board (ESK) in a bid to decrease the negative effects of food prices rising by around 30 percent annually. 

Meat prices in Turkey have been steadily increasing in recent years due to supply problems and merchants' speculative sales moves, according to sector representatives. 

Meat prices in Turkey have begun spiraling upward, with the state-run Meat and Milk Board (ESK) being forced to import high amounts of meat amid promises of further purchases despite reaction from private businesses. 

The ESK launched a tender to buy 3,200 tons of frozen meat on Aug. 5, announcing that the purchases would continue until the Feast of Sacrifice on Sept. 24.