Speaking at a Parliamentary meeting on Friday, Eker responded to criticism form the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP’s, Isparta deputy Nevzat Korkmaz, who had asked the minister about damage caused by hail storms in the southern province of Isparta and its surroundings area.

Eker recalled that there were two different laws passed before the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government, concerning farmers in the face of destructive natural phenomena. One of these laws related to seed supply to needy farmers, but was abolished in 2001 and had not been replaced with a new regulation. Eker said farmers had been left weak and defenseless as a result.

Eker said the other law related to livestock and was passed in 1977. However there was no payment to farmers whatsoever until 1996, contrary to what the law bids the state do. The amount paid between 1996 and 2002, on the other hand, was only 2.5 million Turkish Liras, Eker said, adding that during the AKP’s rule this law had become efficient and farmers had been paid a total of 264 million liras.

The minister said the government is trying to expand the application of the agriculture insurance law, which came into effect June 1, 2006, in farmers’ favor. To that end, Eker said, it was undertaking payment of 50 percent of insurance claims.

Eker informed Parliament that the total number of insurance policies was slightly more than 1 million while all 81 provinces were included in the state-supported insurance policy. The insurance applies to 807 districts and 15,860 villages, Eker said. According to figures provided by the minister, 9.5 million agricultural assets were insured on around 2 million hectares of land.

Eker said the amount of compensation paid according to the terms of the insurance was slightly more than 190 million liras.