Turkey breaks ground on largest integrated feed factory

DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY

The foundations for Turkey's largest integrated feed factory were laid in the country’s southeast on Thursday.

"This facility will be one of Turkey's largest investments in terms of production and storage capacity," said Industry and Technology and Minister Mustafa Varank in the Diyarbakir province, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Proyem Feed Factory in the 1st Mixed Organized Industrial Zone.

"When this investment, with a total cost of 250 million liras ($30 million), is completed, it will create additional employment for approximately 1,000 people directly and indirectly," he added.

Pointing out that Diyarbakir and its surroundings have both livestock value and animal production, Varank noted there is a huge market for the factories in this region that will produce feed.

The region offer great opportunities to investors with their dynamic population and economic potential, he said, adding that there are lucrative investment opportunities in many fields from energy to agriculture-based industry, from furniture to machinery, from textiles to shoe production.

"In order to reveal the potential of Diyarbakir, we have invested enormous resources in our province in the fields of industry, especially in food, agriculture, logistics and tourism," he underlined.

With the Karacadag Development Agency, whose center is in Diyarbakir, the government has provided 198 million liras ($24 million) of support to 562 projects over the last 12 years.

Ambitious targets for 2023, 2053

Emphasizing that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Turkish economy has been continuing to take firm steps under the leadership of the manufacturing industry, Varank said:

"Turkey saw record growth of 21.7% in the second quarter, with the industry sector proving to be the locomotive of the economy with growth of 40.5%."

"Of course, there were some base effects in this high growth. But this success was something we expected after the high performances we showed in production, employment, and exports in the second quarter."

In the second quarter of 2021, the Turkish economy expanded 21.7% year-on-year, in line with expectations, said official data on Wednesday.

The figure marked the highest annual growth rate in over two decades –since 1999.

Major economic indicators show economic activity rebounded, with the economic confidence index jumping to 97.8 in June from 92.6 the previous month.

The upturn in the Turkish manufacturing sector also continued with a headline figure hovering above the threshold level for the third consecutive month in August.