THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Press release…
Ahmet Tiryakioğlu, Chairman of Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM) Cereals, Pulses, Oil Seeds and Products Sector Board, stated that the Black Sea countries have become the centre of world grain production and Türkiye is one of the few countries that direct the grain trade with its geopolitically important position.
Pointing out that Ukraine, which produced almost twice as much wheat as Türkiye before the war, is now close to us with 22 million tonnes of wheat production this year, Tiryakioğlu said, “On the other hand, Russia, which produces over 90 million tonnes of wheat, broke a record by exporting over 20 million tonnes of wheat in the last 4 months. Russia is currently working on expanding its Baltic Sea ports and plans to ramp up its grain exports by another 50 percent by 2030, with the aim of becoming an agricultural superpower. Iraq, expecting a spike in wheat yields due to high rainfall, is preparing to lower its wheat purchase prices next year.”
Highlighting that in the midst of all these developments, Türkiye is pursuing a balanced trade strategy in grain trade that takes into account both the stability of international prices and the continuity in supply chains, Tiryakioğlu explained, “One of our main priorities at the moment should be domestic production. According to TURKSTAT data, there may be a partial decrease in the production of cereal crops in 2024 compared to the previous year. This year’s indicators point to a decrease of more than 5 percent in wheat production and more than 10 percent in barley. Grain planting for next year is progressing in a dry process for now.”
Referring to the effects of the opening of tariff quotas in maize imports with the Presidential decision, Tiryakioğlu added, “The Ministry of Trade opened the tariff quota with customs duty for 1 million tonnes of maize, considering that the decline in maize supply may affect all food prices in the country. It is important to observe the supply and demand balance in this crop, which has a wide range of uses, especially in starch and starch-based sugars, without harming domestic producers.”
