THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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August 2026…
Fatma Can Sağlık, Chairwoman of the Turkish Milk, Meat, Food Industrialists and Producers Association (SETBİR) announced that Türkiye’s strength in milk production is clearly reflected in foreign trade data…
“We are a net exporter country in milk and dairy product foreign trade. As Türkiye, we exported 213,076 tonnes of milk and dairy products in 2025 and earned 480,609,376 dollars in revenue. On the other hand, 17,400 tonnes were imported for 89 million dollars. When we look at our export map, our largest markets are the Middle East and Asian countries. Other important markets that stand out in exports are Europe, North America and African countries. Türkiye has much more export potential in the milk and dairy products sector. While the average export price of milk and dairy products is approximately 2,500 per tonne, this value is 5,000 dollars for imported products. This twofold difference is an important indicator that we can obtain much more export revenue by developing a value-added product range,” Sağlık said.
“The number of our products registered with geographical indications in the EU is increasing every year”
Pointing out that geographically indicated and branded products play a vital role in the transition to a value-added production model in the food sector, she said, “Simply producing is not enough for the global market.”
“A significant momentum has been gained in this area in recent years and according to TÜRKPATENT data, approximately 80 of the more than 1840 registered geographically indicated products are dairy products, including ice cream. The number of our products registered in the European Union (EU) continues to surge every year,” she noted.
Drawing attention to the need to establish a much stronger cooperation model between producer organizations, cooperatives and industrialists in the field, she explained, “Our goal is to position Türkiye’s dairy and meat products as reliable, high-quality and sustainable products in the world. The widespread use of geographically indicated products directly contributes to rural development.”
“Digitalization and AI applications enhance efficiency”
Adding that digitalization and AI-powered applications represent a broad transformation in the dairy sector, ranging from efficiency and animal welfare to cost management and sustainable production, she concluded,
“Thanks to AI-powered herd management systems, the health status, feed consumption, mobility, milk yield and reproductive cycle of animals can be monitored in real-time. Sensors, smart collar systems and automated milking technologies allow for the detection of disease symptoms at a much earlier stage. This reduces yield loss while significantly improving animal welfare. At the same time, digital technologies play a crucial role in reducing carbon footprint and promoting environmental sustainability. In the coming years, fully automated farm models, robotic milking systems, autonomous feeding technologies and predictive production management will become much more widespread.”
