In Istanbul and Antalya airports, the capture of virus tomato seeds brought from China and India was concerned. 11 pounds of mosaic virus tomato seeds with 11 kilos of 500 grams of tomato seeds seized at Antalya Airport recently were returned to China, and 110 kilus of tomato seeds seized at Istanbul airport were sent back to India. Türkiye ranks third after China and India as a tomato production capacity, while its annual production capacity is over 20 million tons. Customs of the seizure of consecutive tomato seeds at customs turned the eyes into food battles, while very important warnings came from experts.
Security issue
Prof. Dr. Ankara University, Department of Food Engineering. Dr. Nevzat waste, virus tomatoes for “suspicious situation” while commenting, “our country’s food strategy and security is very important. Turkey is very important. We know that there are powers that want to insert diseased seeds and blow agricultural production. We have to take very strict measures. Even though the seeds of diseased tomato seeds that were brought from China and India and wanted to be introduced into Turkey were not detected, there would be very serious destruction in the cultivation areas, this would be reflected in the economy. Food safety, Turkey’s future is one of the most important and useful work, “he said.
The economy is shaken
Prof. Dr. Aziz Ekşi, a member of the Gastronomy Department of Istanbul Topkapi University, underlined that if the production of tomatoes in Turkey would be adversely affected if they planted virus seeds, “Such a situation affects the national economy. Turkey produces 20 million tons of tomatoes per year. China and India as a production capacity. After the third place, Turkey is one of the main tomato paste. Approximately 2.5 million tons of tomato tomato tomato paste annually exporting 250 thousand tons of foreign exchange input. When tomato production declines, farmers will be in a difficult situation and the tomato paste sector will be shaken and the foreign exchange input will be reduced. We must be very careful to protect our land from virutic infection, “he said.
Seeds are stolen
A food specialist speaking to Haberglobal.com.tr is a disease that can lead to serious losses in the production of peppers and other vegetables as well as tomatoes of the mosaic virus. . There are people coming from abroad like tourists, collecting wild seeds and increasing the yield by breeding the seeds they collect in their own country. We need to have an eye on anyone at customs. Turkey’s enemies are attacking against food products. ”
Strategic importance
Food Bulletin Editor-in-Chief-Research Writer İhsan Yılmaz is one of the names that underlines that brown wrinkled fruit virus is extremely dangerous. Yilmaz added that there is no protective measures against the virus, Israel had lost its products in all greenhouses throughout the country due to this virus. Turkey’s food safety is strategic. There is no protective measure against the virus that is located inside the seed, not on the surface of the seed. Spraying does not work. It can stay in the soil in which it is infected for years. The product is not used, “he said.
(email protected)
