Cyprus Turkish Fruit and Vegetable Wholesalers Association President Engin Hürsen stated that the claims that the cost of imported tomatoes is 3 and a half TL per kilo do not reflect the truth, and said, “We bring the tomato to the country from 13-14 TL per kilo, we only put an increase of 25 percent and sell it to the markets.”
President of the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers, Erkut Uluçam, stated that the cost of imported tomatoes is 3 and a half TL per kilo, but that they are sold for 30 to 35 TL in the markets, and claimed that “Tomatoes are sold with exorbitant profits”.
Engin Hürsen, President of the Cyprus Turkish Fruit and Vegetable Wholesalers Association, responded to the allegations via Cyprus Post.
Hürsen stated that as wholesalers, they bring the imported tomatoes to the country for 13-14 TL per kilo and only sell them to the markets with an increase of 25 percent.
Emphasizing that tomatoes were not brought to the country for 3 and a half TL as claimed, Hürsen said, “Erkut Uluçam gave a children’s speech”.
Hürsen said that the rate of imported tomatoes is kept low in order to protect the domestic producer and said, “If the quota increases, the price of imported tomatoes will decrease, but this time the domestic producer will suffer.”
Hürsen stated that the statement made by Erkut Uluçam on behalf of the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers is a “blow to Minister Oğuz”. It was not a statement made to make Dursun Oğuz look bad.”
Hürsen also stated that as the Wholesalers Union, they will take the President of the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers, Erkut Uluçam, to court on the grounds that he made unfounded allegations.