Saying that grain and pulses products represent the biggest food branch of the world and Turkey, thus, the association sets the technology which is the cornerstone of these sectors as an objective strategically, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bayram, TABADER Chairman of the Board, emphasized that TABADER is an address for technology development, production and added value P&D.

Focusing on infrastructure and corporate structure works, TABADER creates a significant database which is open to the global researches as well as workshops and information seminars. Aiming to move forward by including the younger generation within its works, TABADER also focused on GENÇ-TABADER initiation.

With Mustafa Bayram, we talked about the activities, projects, future targets of TABADER and IDMA 2017 Exhibition in which they are participating with a booth. We take the details from Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bayram…

Mr. Bayram, as well as your academic life, you are a well-known name operating actively in the industry. Of course many people are closely acquainted with you. For our readers who do not know you well, could you give us some information about yourself? In addition to about more than 20 years of academy, we are making an effort to realize good works with industry and sector. It would be a mistake if an academician who is involved in the engineering discipline remained above the industry. Engineering branches should not be stuck in offices or laboratories. Especially in Turkey, qualified manpower is hard to find. Therefore, faculty members should also be included in the industry. While you add something in the industry, the industry also adds big things to you.

I describe the engineering as the artist of science. Namely, engineers or academicians of engineering departments should process information and develop products as if they were artist. In this scope, I get tired mostly since I plan my career in many aspects, but I still enjoy it.

You have been the Chairman of Association of Grain and Pulses Processing Technologies, Storage and Analysis Systems (TABADER). Can you give us some information about TABADER? When TABADER was established, who are the members of executive board, which industry it represents, and what are the purposes? Nongovernmental organizations (NGO) are organized by people who are oriented in the same target at times when needs are originated. Establishment of TABADER is based on this. Especially, TABADER represents the future since it is a technology-based association. There is a gap between the future of the industry and technological organization. While TABADER is trying to fill this gap, it also shares responsively with other NGOs in the industry. As understood from the name of the Association, processing, technology, storage and analysis systems of grain and pulses industry fall under the association. Especially grain and pulses represent the biggest food branch of the world and Turkey. Thus, TABADER sets the technology which is the cornerstone of these sectors as an objective strategically.

As you mentioned, TABADER is a very young association. It has been approximately a year since your establishment and first the general meeting. How many members do you have and what studies have you conducted in this period? Within one year since our establishment, we have tried to realize infrastructure and corporate structure works. Headquarter of the association has been determined to create an environment for our corporate identity and members, and it has been progressed in office establishment. While we were determining the association building, we considered especially the needs of our members. We determined our headquarter in Istanbul, and we are preparing offices in a plaza which is very close to the airport. Istanbul and the airport is the most important transportation point for all of our members in the industry. Therefore we aim to make offices of our association become their bureaus for job interviews. In other words, our members will be able to use these offices comfortably in their own activities.

We have also arranged some information workshops for our members in this period regarding the industry. We invited specialists for some topics that the industry needs and arranged information seminars. In addition, we are conducting studies on publication of “TABADER - Approved Product and Instruction Book” for dissemination, promotion and literature-gaining of Geographical-Marked products registered at both national and international level that we have integrated in the first action plan in our association as TABADER. Thus, an important database which is open to worldwide researches and studies is created.

Now, we are working to establish GENÇ-TABADER branch of TABADER. In this scope, we would like to achieve successful activities with students by integrating the studies of the students from vocational high schools, vocational schools of higher education and faculties providing education related to the industry in the association. In addition, we are planning to provide students receiving education in this industry technical coursebooks.

Actually, our most important mission as TABADER is to solve qualified manpower problem which is the most important issue of industries. Therefore, we have provided great support to the training program in IDMA 2017 organized for grain and pulses industry. We are planning to popularize these trainings in the future periods across Turkey.

I guess your studies will accelerate more and more in future periods. Can you give us some information about your future goals and plans and events that you are being prepared for? In terms of our future plans, we aim to be in international platforms as TABADER. Number of our members is increasing day by day. It is very important to determine their needs and take action according to this. Therefore, we are planning to prepare an action plan to take our members’ opinions. GENÇ-TABADER is the most important point for us. Therefore, we will start to establish the dialogues with universities in the recent time.

Can you give some information about the position of the industry that you represent in the world? I would like to share a new study that we conduct in academic field. Our new study containing brand-new and special information will tell what will happen in the food industry in 2050. A part of this study is related with grain and pulse industry. If grain and pulse industry and other food industries do not have position according to this, they will not be able to get the best in this period.

Food industry is one of the fields which becomes known in our daily lives from earth to the industry, has relationship with all other industries and is mostly affected from climatic factors that is the most important issue. Developments in agricultural production in the world make Malthus’s theory that population will show a geometrical increase, and production will show an arithmetic increase, and people will go hungry in the 20th century. However, increase in the population makes “Food Safety” issue the most important problem of the world in the near future. According to a research conducted by United Nations in 2015, it is expected that world population will be 9,7 billion in 2050, and 11,2 billion in 2100.

Since it is the peak of fertile soil suitable for plant production, amount of agricultural area per capita is reducing with population increase. There are chemical and physical problems in soils such as sodification, alkalinization, acidification, mineral nutrition element deficiency, contamination, erosion, compression and organic matter loss. According to estimations, 38 percent of earth with 1,47 billion hectare under plant production is in the dissolution process. This process has become more negative with burn of tropical rain forests to open agricultural land due to population pressure, and contamination of water resources.

Within the next 6 years, it is expected an increase in animal production, as well as plant production. It is estimated that meat need will increase by 327 million tonnes with a 58 percent increase in 2020, when compared to 2003. Therefore, it is expected that corn will be the most needed grain for production as feed raw material. In addition, there will be a huge demand burst in grain and pulses as human food.

Sustainability of success of Turkey in milling, grain and pulses processing technologies is a vital issue. According to your opinion, which points should we focus on and which problems should be solved in order to make the success of this industry sustainable? What does TABADER pledge for the industry regarding this issue? Adequate production of grain and pulses agriculturally is the biggest risk for now. Because, in addition that grains and pulses are consumed as food, they are used in energy, livestock production and other industrial sectors. Problems related to price increase and amount in grain and pulse products in the world are ominous. According to the future projections, grain and pulse products will have more importance in animal products in the future. However, we are still not ready for this. There are amount-based, technological and economic problems in the industry. Production losses are still excessive. Value-added and innovative product portfolio is not sufficient. Enrichment of grain-pulse products which are main products of people has a very special importance. In this context, mission of TABADER is important; our association acts as address especially for technology development, production and value-added P&D.

You have announced in the workshop that you arranged in 2016 that you will organize periodical trainings for association members and employees of members. Will you do any work for this matter in the near future? We would like to attach priority to a workshop that we will arrange in Ankara. For matters especially related to the sector, we are working in seminars of Turkish Grain Board (TMO) and other ministry bureaucrats.

A majority part of your target audience will participate in IDMA Fair between the dates of 04-07 May. You will have stand in this fair as TABADER. Do you think that IDMA will help you with big achievements? Can you share your purpose and expectation of participation at this fair? IDMA has become the most important and prestigious fair of the milling industry in Turkey. It is among the agenda of the milling industry in the world. The fair is the proof of big success for Turkish fair, especially sectoral fair. Just like every fair, IDMA brings national and international shareholders together. It is an important argument to establish new connections in commerce. As TABADER, we will participate in IDMA Fair actively in meetings, bilateral negotiations and training part during the fair. We will open a stand for new members who are willing to participate in TABADER. We will be around the fair with members of Executive Board of TABADER, we are waiting for everyone.