THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Despite the rapidly growing demand for chicken meat in Turkey due to the growing population, in 2022
chicken meat production is forecast to increase only three percent compared to 2021 to 2.23 million
metric tons (MMT). In 2021, chicken meat production in Turkey is expected to grow slightly at 1.5
percent to 2.17 million metric tons (MMT) due to high feed prices and the closing of fast-food
restaurants and hotels due to Covid-19 restrictions. Consumption is constrained because of insufficient
production, increasing exports, and high market prices. In 2022, chicken meat exports are estimated to
reach 539,000 MT, which is 10 percent more than 2021. This is in line with increasing exports to Iran
and Libya. In 2021, chicken meat exports are estimated at 490,000 MT, around 10 percent higher than
the previous year. In 2020, exports reached 442,214 MT and were valued at $483 million.
Despite the rapidly growing demand for chicken meat in Turkey due to the growing population, in 2022 chicken
meat production is forecast to increase only three percent compared to 2021 to 2.23 million metric tons (MMT).
In 2021, chicken meat production in Turkey is expected to grow slightly at 1.5 percent to 2.17 million metric tons
(MMT) due to high feed prices and the closing of fast-food restaurants and hotels due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Chicken meat production as of June 2021 is 1.3 percent less than during the same period in 2020. In 2020,
Turkey produced 2.136 MMT of chicken meat.
Poultry production has not been efficiently growing since 2018 because of the currency depreciation against the
U.S. dollar, high feed prices depended on imports, lack of slaughterhouses capacity, the recent drought in
Turkey, and the Covid-19 pandemic. All of these events caused economic disruptions in the agriculture sector.
Broiler production is the dominant chicken meat produced in Turkey and has 99 percent of the total production.
More than half of total broiler meat production in Turkey are produced in Manisa, Balikesir, Sakarya and Mersin.
The poultry production growth rate, which averaged 6-10 percent per year for the last 15 years, is also
hampered by the lack of supply of imported breeding stocks (day old chicks and hatching eggs). Turkish poultry
producers are currently facing higher prices for imported breeding stocks because of growing demand from
Russia and the Middle Eastern, which has increased global prices.
The Turkish poultry sector is dependent on foreign supplies for feed, which is the main input cost for poultry
operations (80 percent of the total expenditure). On February 27, 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
(MinAF) approved four soybean events and one corn event for feed as a result of the applications of the Turkish
Poultry Meat Producers and Breeders Association (Besd-Bir). Although the approval of GE soybeans and corn events for feed is welcomed by the Turkish poultry industry, the high cost of feed imports will continue to be a main concern of the sector. Broiler feed prices have been steadily increasing while broiler meat production has been stagnating for the past two years. In 2020, broiler feed prices were 60 percent greater than the previous year’s prices. Turkey produced 5.4 MMT of broiler feed in 2020 for poultry meat production.
Source: USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
