Chicken meat market in Turkey: Economic analysis, market structure and competition

Chicken meat is included in the poultry sector, which is one of the sub-sectors of agriculture. As a protein source, it is cheaper and easier to access than other animal products. It is also the most preferred species for consumption among other poultry. Although chicken meat has an important place in the nutrition of Turkish people as a protein source, it has been observed that consumption and exports per capita are low when compared to world countries. Concerns have increased that the recent increases in chicken meat prices are due to the monopoly power practices of large companies in the sector. In this context, this thesis study was conducted to reveal the competitive structure of the chicken meat market in Turkey. In order to determine the state of competition in the market, the companies operating in the sector were examined according to the structure-behavior-performance-paradigm. The concentration level of the sector was found by using the k-firms (CRk) concentration index. As a result of the analysis made according to the structure-behavior-performance paradigm and the CRk index, it has been determined that the sector market has a weak oligopoly structure. The oligopolistic structure of the chicken meat market has been demonstrated by the lawsuits filed with the Competition Authority, in which the companies in the sector set prices together from time to time to create a dominant position.