The Restaurant Owners Association has assessed the recent protest by the Animal Producers and Breeders Association, emphasising the importance of collective effort to find a lasting solution to the issue, Yeniduzen reports. In their statement, the Association highlighted that they have been drawing attention to the excessive pricing practices in all market products, particularly red meat, since the beginning.
“Our approach has always favoured dialogue. From our first statement to our most recent, we have consistently underscored the necessity for all stakeholders to convene at the government’s invitation, asserting that this issue can only be resolved through collective reasoning, not through conflict“, the statement said.
“In line with this perspective, we, along with other civil society organisations, took the initiative to bring butchers and livestock farmers together to address the meat crisis, which has now led to chaos and even disrupted the meat supply chain. While we do not have a specific stance on the details and demands of the protest, our primary objective is to foster collective awareness, recognising that we are all in this together.
“Our community and our members deserve the right to access meat at prices comparable to those of our southern neighbours. We urge the government once again to promptly convene all stakeholders and, if necessary, organise an urgent meeting involving all parties to find a lasting solution based on scientific data. Failing this, it will be our members and the public who will suffer the consequences”, the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, in a separate article, Yeniduzen reports that the animal producers’ protest in front of the Prime Ministry, which began on Monday, has entered its third day. Despite meeting with the Finance Minister and the Agriculture Minister late last night, the activists did not achieve any positive outcomes.
Mustafa Naimoğulları, the head of the Animal Producers and Breeders Union, announced that today’s actions would intensify and urged all citizens and farmers to join the protest at the Prime Ministry. Early this morning, police began assembling in front of the Prime Ministry, and it was reported that activists gathered at several locations and started heading towards Nicosia with tractors.
In recent years animal producers have asked the government for help in milk pricing structure, and support as the cost of animal feeds has risen. Most recently, they have protested against the import of cheaper frozen meat. All of which they say, makes it uneconomical to continue meat production.
