Turkey's Meat & Fishery Authority to import 2,250 tons of livestock

ANKARA (A.A) - August 5, 2011 - Turkey's Meat & Fishery Authority (EBK) will import 2,250 tons of livestock from Europe.
The authority will sign a contract with companies that want to import 2,250 tons of livestock. One kilogram of the livestock will be between 2.9 and 2.98 Euro.
Turkey is planning to import livestock from Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Finland (excluding Northem Ostrobothnia region), Sweden (excluding Vastmanland region), Greece (excluding Kilkis, Pella, Thessaloniki, Serres and Voreio regions), Austria (excluding Scharding, Bregenz, Hallein, Gmund, Salzburg-Umgebung, Perg, Lienz, St.Veit/Glan, Sankt Veit an der Glan Kirckberg/Kerms Kirchdorf and der Krems and Wiener Neustadt regions), and some other European countries from where Turkey's Food, Agriculture and Animal Breeding Ministry allows.
The livestock will be male, aged between 12 an 24 months, and weigh minimum 400 kilograms.
First 750 tons of livestock will be handed over to the northeastern province of Sakarya, the second 750 tons of livestock will be sent to Ankara's Sincan town, the third will be delivered to the central province of Yozgat. 
The last time the EBK held a tender for import of 10,500 tons of cattle from the United States (excluding Texas, Alabama and Washington states), Brazil (excluding Parana region), Uruguay, Argentina (excluding Corrientes and Misiones regions), Chile, New Zealand and Australia.
Three companies attended the tender, and Hijazi&Ghosheh company offered 53.3 million USD for the tender. Morkoc Timber, Animal Breeding and Goktaslar Meat Products submitted a partial bid in the tender. The tender has not been concluded yet.
In order to prevent rise in meat prices, authorities dropped customs tax in livestock imports to 15 percent from 30 percent, and the reference price per kilogram in meat imports to 3.5 percent from 5 USD.
On April 30, 2010, the Council of Ministers authorized the Meat & Fishery Authority (EBK) to import 16,000 tons of live cattle, and 7,500 tons of cattle meat (fresh or frozen). However, EBK decided to import livestock instead of importing meat.