Drought hits southeast forcing major cattle migration

To help cattle breeders overcome the Southeast's worst recorded drought in 70 years the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Ministry in cooperation with the Interior Ministry has launched a project to move animals affected by parched grazing lands to eastern cities.

While nearly 6000 sheep and goats in Diyarbakır were moved to eastern provinces last year this number has rocketed to 110000 in 2008. The number of cattle moved east in 2007 was only 859 -- that number is 21728 this year. Officials say the total number of animals to be moved from cities such as Diyarbakır Batman Mardin and Şanlıurfa will reach 1 million with farmers temporarily migrating to eastern regions where pastures are relatively less affected by aridity.

The Ministry of Interior is continuing efforts to make larger pasture areas in the East available for grazing. Diyarbakır Agricultural Affairs Director Mustafa Kayhan said they had assessed the animal migration as a side-effect of the agricultural drought recalling that all the cities in the region had made their cattle grazing plans at the beginning of the year. Noting that unexpected levels of aridity spoiled their plans Kayhan said: "We have received demands from our ministry to allow cattle-grazing in previously forbidden areas owing to the growing number of migrating farmers and we are acting in line with the ministry's instruction. Now a greater portion of pasture is available for the farmers escaping the drought in the South."
Kayhan emphasized they had founded a commission to determine the amount of damage in the field of vegetable production caused by the drought. He said they had received reports of 90 percent damage to roughly 400000 hectares of land. "We are anticipating showers for certain parts of the region. Unless it rains soon about a hundred hectares of grassland will completely dry out. The farmers there who haven't migrated yet are quite ill at ease" he said. Diyarbakır Chamber of Butchers and Fatteners President Sait Şanlı stressed that a majority of Southeasterners financially relied upon agriculture and cattle breeding saying: "About 18000 animals have been moved in 45 days outside of Diyarbakır which is the region's central cattle market. This has inflicted a major blow to the business. People are now selling their cattle in Mardin Kızıltepe Şanlıurfa and Viranşehir at much lower prices -- in addition to [the problem of] the rapidly declining number of cattle. The drought will also cause last year's YKr 45 price for a kilo of hay to rise to YKr 80."