Muğla Metropolitan Municipality laid the foundation of the Flake Feed Production Facility to support agricultural production and animal husbandry. With the Flake Feed Facility investment, Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Aras fulfilled another election promise.
Muğla Metropolitan Municipality is implementing an important investment with Milas Municipality and Milas Milk Producers Association in order to support animal husbandry and reduce the feed costs of producers. The groundbreaking ceremony of the Flake Feed Production Facility to be established in Milas Organized Industrial Zone was held with the broad participation of the regional protocol. Mayor Aras is realizing another promise with the Flake Feed Production Facility, which is an important investment for animal husbandry.
The ceremony was attended by Coastal Aegean Municipalities Union and Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Aras, Milas District Governor Mustafa Ünver Böke, Milas Mayor Fevzi Topuz, CHP Milas District Chairman, municipal council members, representatives of non-governmental organizations and neighborhood headmen.
Feed Costs Will Drop, Milk Will Be More Affordable
The facility, which will be implemented within the scope of the cooperation protocol signed between Muğla Metropolitan Municipality and Milas Milk Producers Association, will have a production capacity of 5 tons per hour. Thanks to this facility, which producers can benefit from throughout the year, feed costs will decrease significantly, thus allowing milk and dairy products to be offered to consumers at more affordable costs. The facility, which will be built with a total investment of 30 million TL, will be operated by Milas Milk Producers Association. The project aims to make a significant contribution to the livestock sector in the region and to ease the economic burden of producers. In the future, it is planned for a wider range of producers to benefit from the facility service with the Metropolitan Municipality's Agricultural Card Project.
Milk Producer Nuray Kaya “Milk Union is Power for Producers, New Facility is Hope”
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Flake Feed Production Facility, milk producer Nuray Kaya stated that the feed factory will reduce milk costs and said; “We had a hard time as milk producers before. When the milk union was established, everything became more institutional. This facility will provide us with feed support. I would like to thank everyone who contributed.”
Milas Milk Producers Union President Ali İhsan Gezgin, “From Difficulty to Success: The Rise of Milas Milk Union”
Milas Milk Producers Union President Ali İhsan Gezgin explained the difficulties they experienced as milk producers before the union was established and the successes they achieved as a union. Gezgin; “Milk Producers Union was established in 2008 with the support of the district governor of the period. We were having difficulty selling our milk. We wanted to establish our own union. We started our activities in 2008. Our opportunities were very limited. We thought we needed to grow in order to increase the quality of our milk. We established tanks in 63 villages. We opened a delicatessen in Milas. We advanced our organization. We are now in 14th place among 7 thousand agricultural organizations in Türkiye.”
“We will produce branded dairy products in Milas with the support of President Ahmet”
“This will be a feed processing facility. While serving as Bodrum Mayor for years, we watched with envy the support Mayor Ahmet gave to cooperatives. Then we went to him and explained our problem: ‘We produce but we cannot sell’ we said. Thankfully, Mayor Ahmet also supported us during this process. Now our producers will be able to produce milk at a more affordable cost. We will also create a brand in Milas with this opportunity. Just as Çanakkale has Ezine cheese, Milas will have its own cheese. This project will serve not only Milas but the entire region,” he said.
Agricultural Services Department Head Buket Kallem: “We Will Continue to Produce Projects That Support Agriculture”
Buket Kallem, Head of the Metropolitan Agricultural Services Department, stated that as the Metropolitan Municipality, they will continue to produce projects that support agriculture.
“As a metropolitan municipality, we will continue to support the continuation of plant and animal production. Within the scope of this project, producers will be able to benefit from the flake feed facility throughout the year. The facility will be continuously operated, thus reducing input costs and producing cheap feed. The facility will be built on an area of one thousand square meters and will have a capacity of 5 tons. It will primarily serve dairy union producers and then all producers in Muğla. Our cooperation will continue to further advance Muğla agriculture.”
Milas Mayor Topuz: “As someone from a farming family, I find the investment valuable”
Milas Mayor Fevzi Topuz emphasized that Milas is a city of agriculture, industry and tourism and expressed that they found the investment valuable. “We are implementing an important project for Milas. Since I come from a family that produces, I attach particular importance to this project. This area belonging to the Milk Union is about to be ready for production. Milas is a strong city in terms of tourism, industry and agriculture. As local administrators, we are ready to support our farmers and provide all kinds of support, especially President Ahmet, for the development of agriculture. I hope that our facility will be beneficial to Muğla.”
Milas District Governor Böke: “We Have to Produce Together”
Milas District Governor Mustafa Ünver Böke emphasized the importance of producing together and said: “Today is March 21. I congratulate everyone on the occasion of Nevruz, which has been celebrated in these lands for a thousand years. Today is also the first day of World Forestry Week. I would like to congratulate this week from Milas, the city where green and blue look best.
We produce, we have to produce. Unity creates strength and power. We have to produce together. At this point, I would like to thank the Milas Milk Union Presidency, which has accomplished great things, and everyone who contributed. I hope this facility will be beneficial to Milas.”
President Aras: “Costs are Very High, Farming Has Become Difficult”
Addressing the difficulties of farming conditions, President Aras stated that they will continue investments that support agriculture and producers, such as the Flake Feed Factory, and said: “The costs are now very high, farming is becoming increasingly difficult. Today, large capital companies do not want small producers to produce. Now, artificial meat production is on the agenda. They want people not to produce, only to consume. The year 2008 was a turning point for the Milk Union. I would like to say, “May God bless the valuable District Governor of the period who contributed to the establishment of the Union. The Union has shown serious development in 17 years. It has made many innovations and has become a source of pride for Milas.”
“We have fertile lands and productive farmers, we have to support them”
Agriculture is one of our most critical sectors. Without agriculture, other sectors will fall behind. Today, access to healthy food is more important than ever. If you cannot produce your own products in agriculture, you will become dependent on foreign countries. We are already partially dependent on foreign countries, we have to import. However, we have fertile agricultural lands and farmers who produce. There should be no need for imports in such a geography.
At this point, our milk producers are saying, 'We want to produce, support us.' I told them, 'The villager is the master of the nation. This is your right. We are not doing you a favor, we are here to serve you.'
“We Will Build the Productive Milas Together and Open It to the World.”
It is our duty to support these and similar facilities. Municipality work cannot be done by just building roads and collecting garbage. We also have to support factories that produce. Our other unions should also come together, organize and say, 'President, we want these.' No investment made here will go to waste. We will produce better together in Milas and market it to Türkiye and the world.
From now on, we will put agriculture before everything else, we will give priority to agriculture. According to a study conducted by MUPA, 74,5 percent of farmers do not want their children to work in agriculture. Because there is now a serious struggle to produce. It is necessary to facilitate production. If children quit this job, production will end. We have vowed to support production, to protect our soil, air and water. We must set our sights high, Milas must be a pioneer in every field. We are ready to support every project coming from this city.
“Let’s Produce for the Future, Not for Coal”
Milas is located at a point where intersections meet. We are in a very valuable region that has been the capital throughout history. Milas has a bright future.Young people, take care of the lands left to you. Do not waste or sell your lands. Our agricultural lands and olive groves are in danger of extinction because of thermal power plants. Of course we need energy, but it is time to say “stop” to these power plants that have completed their lifespan. We cannot waste our agricultural lands for coal. It is our duty to take care of our lands. No power can stop us from this struggle.”
