Promoting Agricultural Value Chains:
In the OIC Member Countries
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5.3.6 Conclusions and lessons learned
Turkey’s red meat production has increased significantly over the last decade, particularly in
cattle livestock due to growing demand for beef. Production is thus mostly for domestic
consumption of the country’s growing population and as a means of subsistence for many
farmers, especially sheep and goat farmers, in the poorer regions of Turkey.
The increase in red meat production should be seen in the context of the country’s overall
increase in agricultural production due to modernisation and productivity increases. These
advances were largely driven by the government which supported the livestock sector through
enabling legislation and animal husbandry projects.
Growth in red meat production is projected to continue, but a number of challenges need to be
addressed to enable the sector to take advantage of its full potential. The main problem relates
to the poor enforcement of quality and food safety standards along the red meat value chain, as
much of red meat production is traded through informal channels and does not go through
registered slaughtering. This results in unhygienic practices for as much as 40 percent of
Turkey’s red meat production. On the one hand, this calls for better implementation of quality
and food safety standards; for instance, by increasing the number of large-scale modern
slaughtering enterprises which are able to meet the required standards.
On the other hand, the situation of small-scale farmers needs to be addressed, as they
constitute two-thirds of livestock producers and are thus of critical importance for the future
of the industry. To ensure that they raise both the quality and quantity of their production,
better support structures need to be created, for instance through producer organisations,
which deliver training and information to the producers. New, appropriate cattle breeds
should be introduced to replace the current dominance of indigenous breeds which are not
productive or suitable for commercial beef production. This would contribute to the continued
modernisation of Turkey’s red meat value chain.