Turkey's flour exports in the first half of the year increased by 15% compared to the same period last year, reaching 1.8 million tons and generating $680 million in export revenue.
The Turkish flour industry, which exports to 164 countries and contributes over $1 billion to the country's treasury, has been the world leader in flour exports for the past nine years. In 2023, the industry achieved a record-breaking export of 3.663 million tons and has successfully completed the first half of 2024 with promising results.
Dr. Eren Günhan Ulusoy
Commenting on the matter, Dr. Eren Günhan Ulusoy, IAOM (International Association of Operative Miller) Eurasia President Dr. Eren Günhan Ulusoy, stated, “We set a new record with 3.663 million tons of exports in 2023. It was a good year for exports. We have made a strong start to 2024 as well. Our rise in exports in the first months has been reflected in the first half of the year. Compared to the same period last year, we increased our exports by 15% in terms of quantity, achieving $680 million in revenue from 1.8 million tons of flour exports. This progress is significant, especially amidst a period of decline in exports for many sectors. We aim to close the year with 4 million tons of flour exports, generating approximately $1.5 billion in revenue.”
The sector's largest export markets were Iraq, Djibouti, and Syria. Notably, exports to Sudan increased by 355%, to Djibouti by 323%, to Egypt by 291%, and to Indonesia by 105% compared to the same period last year.
TURKEY EXPECTS STRONG WHEAT HARVEST
Dr. Eren Günhan Ulusoy also highlighted that Turkey set a record for wheat production over the last seven years by producing 22 million tons of wheat last year and expects to achieve 21 million tons of wheat production this season.
Turkey, anticipating a good harvest, has also liberalized wheat exports. Commenting on this development, Ahmet Güldal, General Manager and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Grain Board, said, “Last year, we liberalized exports of durum wheat and corn through a controlled mechanism during the harvest period, which brought in $1.1 billion in foreign currency and was highly beneficial for our producers. This year, by liberalizing the export of milling wheat and durum wheat, we have provided a broader market for our producers during the harvest period. This export liberalization will be conducted in a controlled manner and will be limited to the export of excess supply in our country.”