Despite the economic and logistical challenges, 2024 marked a period of continued growth for the Turkish milling machinery industry. In his statement to Miller Magazine, Zeki Demirtaşoğlu, Chairman of the Turkish Milling and Sector Machinery Manufacturers Association (DESMÜD), highlighted that the sector increased its export volume by 5%, reaching $3.7 billion. He added, “We aim to increase our exports by 15-20% in 2025.” Demirtaşoğlu emphasized that even greater success will be achieved in the sector with the launch of the Grain and Grain Products Innovation Centre project, led by DESMÜD.
Zeki Demirtaşoğlu, Chairman of the DESMÜD, discussed the sector's 2024 performance and 2025 targets with Miller Magazine, reflecting on a challenging year marked by global economic fluctuations, logistics crises, and geopolitical tensions. Highlighting that economic uncertainties and financial contractions affected markets worldwide in 2024, Demirtaşoğlu said, “Our target was to achieve 10-15% growth in exports, but we fell short due to global inflation and market contractions. Nevertheless, we recorded a 5% growth, increasing our export volume from $3.5 billion to $3.7 billion. This is an important success for our industry,”
However, this growth was not achieved without challenges. “Disadvantages in production, transport, and finance, along with geopolitical tensions and dollar shortages, have negatively impacted our exporters,” Demirtaşoğlu said. “Furthermore, long-term, low-interest loans provided by countries such as China and Germany have made global competition even more difficult for us,” he added.
2024 proved to be a challenging year for logistics. “The crises in the Gulf of Aden, the Suez Canal, and the Panama Canal significantly disrupted maritime trade. Additionally, the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Palestine, and Syria were key factors contributing to the market contraction in the sector,” Demirtaşoğlu said. He highlighted that 2024 was a particularly difficult period for global trade.
THE SECTOR PREPARES FOR NEW MILESTONES IN EXPORTS
Despite the challenging conditions, Turkish milling machinery manufacturers have enhanced their production quality by utilizing Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies, Demirtaşoğlu noted. “Our industry continues to produce high-tech machines for the global market. Turkish manufacturers, particularly in the milling machine sector, have maintained a strong position by developing superior quality machines that require advanced technology and are not easily replicated. As we move past a difficult year, industry stakeholders are preparing to achieve new export successes by overcoming all obstacles. 2025 will be a period in which the foundations for greater success in the sector will be laid. Our goal is to increase exports by 15-20% in 2025.”
Zeki Demirtaşoğlu, Chairman of DESMÜD
However, according to the Chairman of DESMÜD, one of the biggest risks the industry will face in 2025 is the ongoing wars and geopolitical tensions. In particular, the continued challenges in transport and potential crises in vital waterways such as the Suez and Panama canals could negatively impact global trade. “The biggest risk is the strategic moves that the new US President Trump will make on the global stage,” Demirtaşoğlu said, emphasizing that US global policies will be crucial in shaping world trade and the industry.
EFFORTS IN FOOD SUPPLY SECURITY OPEN NEW AVENUES FOR GROWTH
However, the US Federal Reserve's tightening policy and the global liquidity squeeze may pose economic challenges for developing countries. Despite this, Demirtaşoğlu believes that important opportunities will arise during this period. Development efforts in Africa and countries’ focus on ensuring food supply security offer new export prospects for the sector. “Many countries are undergoing redevelopment and restructuring processes. Global food supply security has become an increasingly critical issue. Many countries, especially in Africa, are now working to boost their food production capacity. This creates significant export opportunities for our industry. We will continue to strengthen our position in new markets, expanding our export volume and breaking export records,” Demirtaşoğlu said. He also emphasized that Turkey has the potential to strengthen its position in global agriculture and food trade.
DESMÜD'S STRATEGIC PROJECT TO ELEVATE TURKEY’S MILLING MACHINERY SECTOR
DESMÜD is launching a major project to ensure the sustainable growth of the Turkish milling machinery industry. Providing details about the Grain and Grain Products Innovation Centre' to be established in Ankara, Demirtaşoğlu said, “We have signed a protocol with Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, and we will build a large training, production, and testing center with an investment of $5 million on land allocated to us for 25 years. This center will significantly contribute to the sector, both in terms of employment and export targets.” The center, to be constructed on 4.5 acres of land, will feature advanced production lines for flour, bread, pasta, biscuits, and chocolate. It will also provide a major boost to the sector with its R&D laboratories, conference halls, training classrooms, and accommodations.
Demirtaşoğlu stated, “Once the centre, the largest of its kind in both Turkey and the world, is completed, our goal is to increase export figures from $3 billion to $8 billion within the first 10 years. We believe that the center, which will play a crucial role in achieving the sector's employment and export targets, will make an international impact by contributing to the adoption of innovative technologies in this field and offering high-quality training. The Innovation Centre will create a significant global impact, open new horizons for the sector, and strengthen international collaborations. In doing so, we aim to boost productivity within the sector and directly contribute to national income.” He emphasized that they are committed to further strengthening the position of the Turkish milling machinery industry on the global stage.