AgroFoodSummit 2025 brought the major players of the global pulses market together in Mersin, underlining that Türkiye is not only a strong producer but – with its high-tech processing capacity and strategic port infrastructure – is rapidly becoming one of the main crossroads of world trade.

Held on 19–21 November in Mersin, AgroFoodSummit 2025 convened leading actors from the grain, oilseed and pulses markets. The event was organized by the Ukraine Pulses and Soybean Association (UPSA) in cooperation with APK-Inform and with the support of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, and welcomed around 400 participants from 32 countries.

The conference examined global price dynamics and trade flows, logistics and corridor strategies, the outlook for regional markets, and the impact of a changing geopolitical environment on agricultural trade.

Participants did not limit themselves to conference rooms only. On 19 November they joined a technical visit to the facilities of Arbel (AGT Foods), one of the world’s largest pulse processors. On 21 November they toured Mersin Port, a strategic hub for Türkiye’s agricultural exports. Together, these two site visits offered a concrete illustration of why Mersin has become a “natural base” for the global pulses trade, not only for Türkiye but for the wider region.

NEW BALANCES IN THE GLOBAL PULSES MARKET

Presentations at the conference helped clarify the big picture for the global pulses market:

• Demand is rising steadily,
• Production regions are becoming more diversified,
• Trade flows are being reshaped by policy and logistics.

At the heart of the market, three major “blocks” stand out:

• Demand and consumption pole: India and South Asia, a fast-growing Africa, and the MENA region;
• Supply pole: Canada, Australia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and, to a lesser extent, the United States;
• Processing and re-export pole: Türkiye

Experts pointed to long-term demand growth especially in lentils, the various segments of chickpeas, faba beans, peas and other pulse categories. Behind this trend lie several structural drivers:

• Population growth,
• The rise of plant-based protein and convenience foods,
• Growing interest in sustainable, low-carbon diets.

WHO WILL FILL INDIA’S PULSES GAP?

Bimal Kothari, Chairman of the India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), underlined India’s unique position in the pulses market. He reminded participants that India is today not only the world’s largest producer of pulses, but also its largest consumer and importer. Despite an increase of around 10 million tonnes in domestic production over the last decade, Kothari noted that India’s internal demand has climbed beyond 31 million tonnes, creating a structural deficit of some 6–7 million tonnes per year. According to Kothari, India’s pulses demand could reach 38–40 million tonnes by 2030. This, he stressed, opens a long-term and large-scale window of opportunity for suppliers such as Canada, Australia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Türkiye.

COMPETITION ON THE SUPPLY SIDE

Speakers on the supply side painted a competitive but fragile picture for the lentil, chickpea and pea markets. Deepak Rawat, Director at Canada-based Empros International, underlined that – compared with many other origins – Canada is a highly structured producer country when it comes to production and planning. Farmers make decisions based on gross margin calculations, crop rotation and stock-holding costs, and tend to avoid dramatic swings in acreage.

In Rawat’s view, strong domestic prices in India and sustained demand from large buyers such as Bangladesh mean that Canadian producers are relatively “comfortable”, and no dramatic change – above 5% – is expected in seeded area for the coming season.

Gaurav Jain, Director of Singapore-based AgPulse, highlighted several key trends shaping competition among major origins in lentils, chickpeas and especially peas:

• High crops and rising stocks in Canada and Australia,
• A rapid increase in pulses production in Kazakhstan in recent years,
• Russia’s emergence as a powerful export player in chickpeas and peas,
• Ukraine’s efforts to re-establish itself as an important origin, with production gradually shifting to the west and south-west of the country despite the war’s impact on eastern regions.

Speaking from the Kazakhstan side, Ildar Ismagulov of Food Contract Corporation reported that the country had achieved record production of grains and oilseeds in the 2025 harvest year. With high-protein durum wheat and high-quality pulses, Kazakhstan aims to become more visible in both the Turkish and Middle Eastern markets. The country is exploring new routes via the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway and Turkish ports to enhance its logistics. 

On the Ukrainian side, UPSA and other speakers explained how production and trade are being restructured so that Ukrainian pulses can develop as an alternative supply source for India and the Middle East.

Ahmet Güldal

GEOPOLITICS AS A MARKET DRIVER

The future of the pulses market will not be determined by production and consumption alone. Trade policy and geopolitics are also reshaping the rules of the game. In peas, in particular, several developments are changing trade flows:

• India’s 30% import duty and periodic restrictions on pea imports,
• China’s high tariffs on Canadian peas,
• EU restrictions on certain products originating from Russia and Belarus.

According to Gaurav Jain, the balance sheet for peas may look “even” on paper, but even minor adjustments in Indian and Chinese import policies can quickly upset the global equilibrium. This, he argued, makes risk management essential for exporting countries and forces importers to diversify their sourcing strategies.

TÜRKİYE: PROCESSING AND DISTRIBUTION CORRIDOR FOR PULSES

One of the strongest storylines at the conference was Türkiye’s – and especially Mersin’s – distinctive role along the pulses value chain. Hüseyin Arslan, Chairman of AGT Foods & Arbel, described Türkiye as a “food corridor”:

• During the Covid-19 period, Türkiye managed the balance between domestic stocks and exports in a way that avoided panic in the local market;
• Since the 1980s, the inward processing regime and flexible customs framework have made it possible to import products from third countries, process them in Türkiye and re-export them;
• It is no coincidence, Arslan stressed, that Türkiye is one of the key suppliers to international food aid programmes around the world.

Hüseyin Arslan

Abdullah Özdemir, Chairman of Mersin Commodity Exchange, described Mersin as one of the leading pulses hubs not only in Türkiye, but globally:

• Around 70% of Türkiye’s pulses exports are shipped out of Mersin,
• The city is home to nearly 40 lentil plants and more than 200 facilities processing chickpeas, beans, peas, red and green lentils,
• Although Türkiye produces almost no peas itself, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of imported peas are processed in Mersin each year and then exported on to third countries.

Özdemir underlined that Türkiye operates a trade model based on importing raw material, processing it, and exporting it in higher value-added form. At the same time, he stressed the need to increase domestic production, encourage pulses consumption among younger generations, and invest in high-yield, climate-resilient varieties.

FROM MERSIN TO THE WORLD: EXPORTING TECHNOLOGY

Mersin stands out not only as a centre of pulses trade, but also as a producer of pulses processing technology. In his presentation, Uğur Akyürek, CEO of AKY Technology, explained how high-capacity colour sorters and AI-supported optical systems, fine cleaning and grading machines, and production lines that can be monitored and controlled remotely have transformed pulses and oilseed processing plants. Thanks to remote monitoring and intervention, faults can now be detected and corrected instantly. Locating plants closer to raw material production areas, he added, delivers major gains in terms of speed and a lower carbon footprint. By exporting not only individual machines but complete turnkey plants to 88 countries, AKY Technology has helped position Türkiye as a “processing technology hub”.

A similar picture for the Turkish machinery sector was drawn by Fethi Sönmez, CEO of Armada Foods. “Türkiye is a processing country; our strength comes from our processing capacity and the value we add,” Sönmez said, emphasizing that the sector must keep costs under control and invest in automation in order to maintain that strength.

Mehdi Eker

TÜRKİYE’S ROLE IN PULSES: PRODUCER, PROCESSOR, TRADE BRIDGE

The big picture that emerged at the conference assigned Türkiye a triple role in the pulses economy:

Producer: A significant producer of chickpeas and lentils, though operating below its full production potential.

Processor: Adding value by cleaning, sorting, splitting and packaging imported raw material in advanced, high-tech plants.

Trade bridge: Acting as a logistics and trade corridor that channels products arriving via the Black Sea through Mersin and other ports to markets in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.

This role also comes with responsibilities. Both Hüseyin Arslan and Abdullah Özdemir stressed that Türkiye must:

• Increase its own pulses production,
• Win back younger generations to pulses consumption,
• Develop new brands and product ranges in plant-based protein and ready-to-eat pulse products that can serve as a benchmark globally.

THE FUTURE OF PULSES

Discussions at AgroFoodSummit 2025 converged on a shared view of the future: pulses are no longer just a “traditional food group”. They are increasingly seen as:

• The backbone of the plant-based protein revolution,
• A core component of climate-smart agriculture and low-carbon diets,
• An affordable and accessible source of protein in developing countries,
• A key input for innovative food products – from protein bars and meat alternatives to ready-to-eat vegan meals – in developed markets.

With global population growth, climate change, water scarcity and the environmental costs of meat production all in focus, many speakers agreed that the strategic importance of pulses will continue to rise. For Türkiye and Mersin, this sends a clear message: 

• On the production side: Invest in high-yield, climate-resilient varieties,
• On the processing side: Deepen automation, energy efficiency and technology exports,
• On the trade side: Develop new logistics corridors, diversify sourcing and build long-term partnerships with food security at their core.

Foto6: At the AgroFood Summit, Hüseyin Arslan highlighted the 9,000-year agricultural heritage of Mersin–Yumuktepe, presenting a replica of the 6,000 BCE lentil bowl discovered in the Basketmaker Woman’s Tomb. This symbolic bowl, reflecting the region’s role in the origins of agriculture, was also offered as a special gift to all participants.