SÊRT - Hacı Çiçek, who has been trade on borders in Sêrt for half a century, stated that he will quit animal husbandry due to state pressures, plateau bans and input costs.

 

Hacı Çiçek (65), who has been dealing with animal husbandry in Sêrt for 50 years, will sell the last 40 animals left due to input costs and pressure from the state and leave livestock. Stating that animal husbandry, which he started when he was only 15 years old, was his livelihood, Çiçek said: "I have been doing this job until today despite all the difficulties. I trade on borders. I could not do my job because all the mountains and plateaus where I graze my animals were banned because they were called military zones. I condemned the ban on the plateaus and mountains where I was born and raised. I no longer want to go to the plateaus where I entered and exited under blockade, such as the GBT practice in Bitlis and Batman. I had nothing left in these places, which I rented for 100 thousand TL for 4 months."

 

PRESSURE INCREASED

 

Çiçek, who does not want to deal with the pressures imposed under the name of "security" especially in the spring and summer months, said: "I do not want to do the work in the winter months due to the input costs. I had to move the animals to the city center, and was unable to buy hay and feed, the prices of which were increasing day by day. I sold my last 40 animals and left the animal husbandry, which I continued for half a century, due to the difficulties I experienced.

 

'WE WERE HAPPILY RAISING LIVESTOCK'

 

Reminding that the animal husbandry continues for 12 months of the year, Çiçek continued: “We were happily raising livestock in the rain and mud when there was no conflict in our own plateau. Now our plateau is also forbidden. We pay 100-200 thousand rents and go to the highlands in other cities. This affects us economically. The costs are unaffordable. We are trying to maintain coaching, which is the reason we live. Coaching is the most beautiful thing in the world; however, at this stage, it has become a disgrace. It is forbidden everywhere, the costs are high. Due to the high input costs, the number of animals decreased day by day because of this, we could not go to the plateau. I have 40 animals now, I will sell them and quit this job. This work, which starts at 6 in the morning, continues until the evening hours. We never get paid for our hard work.”