THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Press release…
Veysel Memiş, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mediterranean Cereals, Pulses, Oil Seeds and Products Exporters Association (AHBİB), announced that they exported 151.1 million dollars in February. Stating that Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia were the leading countries to which they exported the most in the second month of the year, Veysel Memiş also reported that they achieved significant increases in export volume in Benin, Togo, Djibouti, Somalia and China markets.
‘We established new trade bridges at fairs in Dubai and Japan’
Pointing out that they carried out promotional and market activities at the Dubai Gulfood Food Fair in February and the Foodex Japan 2025 Fair in March with the aim of becoming more active in the Middle East, East Africa and Asian markets, Memiş said, “We are working to establish new trade bridges under the umbrella of Turkish Food Exporters (TFA – TGI)).
“While our members showcased their innovative products at the Gulfood 2025 Fair, which was organised between 17-21 February this year and attended by more than 5,500 companies from more than 130 countries, representatives of our 12 member companies carried out marketing activities within the scope of the Development of International Competitiveness (Development of International Competitiveness Development) Project,” he noted.
Highlighting that the success of Mediterranean food exporters in attracting great interest through effective product promotions and tasting events, he explained, “During a consultation meeting in Dubai to evaluate the previous year, we also discussed plans for sectoral trade delegations and procurement delegation activities in 2025. What is more, 4 separate sectoral trade delegations will be organized throughout the year, with the first one being the Casablanca/Morocco Sectoral Trade Delegation.”
Furthermore, President Veysel Memiş mentioned their participation in the Foodex Japan 2025 Fair in Tokyo. Presenting menus consisting of the main export products at the AHBİB stand, they took advantage of this fair’s strategic opportunities for companies looking to enter the Asian market, particularly Japan. With a population of 126 million and annual food imports worth 80 billion dollars, Japan offers a significant market. The fair focuses on sustainable food production, advanced processing technologies, and healthy nutrition trends, making it a critical platform for food exporters to gain a foothold in a market with high standards.
In terms of exports in the AHBİB region, Veysel Memiş underlined the outstanding performance of the sector in February. The highest export volumes were observed in pulses, pastry products and oil seeds. Export values reached 35 million dollars in pulses, with a 35 percent increase, 30.5 million dollars in pastry products, with a 7 percent decrease and 18 million dollars in oil seeds, with a 19 percent increase. In February, the top three export markets in the region were Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia. Iraq received exports worth 22.1 million dollars, followed by Syria with 13.2 million dollars and Saudi Arabia with 7.1 million dollars. The Association succeeded in rumping up its export performance in 54 out of the 145 countries it exported to during that period. Notably, Benin, Togo, Djibouti, Somalia, and China recorded the most significant increases in export volume.
Emphasizing that the success of Mediterranean food exporters and their strategic involvement in international events like the Foodex Japan Fair, he added, “The sector’s strong performance in specific export product categories, as well as the successful penetration of various international markets, highlights the growing presence of Mediterranean food in the global industry.”
