Tea producers protest over price: Isn't our labor worth as much as a chip?

Reactions continue to the announcement of the base price for fresh tea purchases as 25.44 lira.

Tea producers in the Kemalpaşa district of Artvin called on the authorities, stating that the prices determined were inadequate in the face of increasing costs and that they were unable to make a living.

Tea producer Meliha Balcı said:

"Tea is our sweat. Let's go around the market together today with 25 liras. What can we buy, what can we do? We can't even buy two loaves of bread for 25 liras. The child's school expenses, the kitchen of the house... They tell us; 'You have a phone, you have a car'. Shouldn't they too? In the past, we used to buy a house and a car with tea in one season; we could send our children to school. In other words, we could meet all our needs. What can we meet now? Workers' wages are 12-13 liras, fertilizer money, food money, car rentals, fuel money... Which of these should this price cover? Let's leave it to them, let them come and collect it themselves, let them live this life. There is heat and cold in this. It's too much to explain anyway. Let them come here and experience it, then decide. Let them ask the producer; 'how much do you want'. Even if it's polite, even if it's kind, wouldn't a person ask once? We've been doing this job for years, "We are over 60 years old. I remember that we used to pick tea with our hands. But it won't be this much. Many great people have ruled this country, but never to this degree."

"OUR TEA IS NOT WORTH AS MUCH AS A PACK OF CHIPS"

Tea producer Aydın Aydın stated that even daily consumption products are more expensive than tea, and said, "We absolutely do not accept it. Today, a 30-gram pack of cigarettes is 80-100 lira. What is 25 lira? If an AKP deputy can buy something with 25 lira, he should come and tell us. We will shop at their market. What is 25 lira? A pack of chips is 40-50 lira. Isn't our tea and labor worth as much as a chip? Can such a thing happen? We never accept it."

Aydın, a tea producer from Kemalpaşa, who called out that tea cannot be 25 lira in a country where pasta is 38.5 lira, said, "They tell me to pick the tea short! But if I pick it short, I lose money. Today, a pasta is 38.5 lira. I looked the other day, that was the price. Yes, we are really losing money. They tell me, 'pick 5 tons of tea'. But I lose money! The labor cost is high. Then the price should increase."

Another tea producer from Kemalpaşa said, "It was like this last year too. They were saying, 'What are you going to do with the money?' But they wouldn't give it even if we asked. They need the money. They have also lifted the support. Even if they give us 35 liras, it won't be enough. It's a hassle, it's labor. The workers want 12 liras. Now we're left to God. Even 35 liras won't save us. Yes, we want 40 liras, but who is going to give it?"

"THE WEIGHT OF TEA SHOULD BE AT LEAST 30 LIRA"

Kemalpaşa Mayor Erhan Yılmaz also supported the producers and said:

"We did this calculation too. In order for a household that buys an average of 4 tons of tea to receive at least the minimum wage, the price of a kilo of tea must be at least 30 liras. Because here, tea is everything for the citizen. Their bread and butter, their children's education, hospital expenses... Everyone has tea here, life without tea is impossible. But there is something misunderstood: Not all of this money goes to the producer. There is a pruning fee for the tea, there is a fertilizer fee, there is a cleaning fee. I don't know, you hire workers to collect it. When you do all of this, even if you collect it yourself, one third of your income is already gone. The costs are very high. That's why the price needs to be at least over 30 liras. The figures our producer friends have said are extremely accurate."

Source: ANKA