“We can increase our share in global agricultural product to 3 percent.”
FROM THE CHAIRMAN
While agricultural production and consumption have increased in the last 20 years due to the high population and income growth in the world, the axis shift due to demographic developments has changed the international agricultural trade model. Today, India and South East Asia stand out as consumption centres, while the Black Sea and Central Asia regions stand out in terms of production. The share of Russia and Ukraine, two of the largest producing countries, in total grain exports is around 24 percent, and when Kazakhstan, Bulgaria and Moldova are included, this share reaches a very high 43.4 percent.
We are going through a process called “de-China-ization”, in which the US and EU countries want to reduce their trade dependence on China not only in food but in all areas. This new era puts “developing countries” at the forefront to ensure agricultural supply security. As regionalization trends in trade become more widespread, trade with close and neighbouring countries is becoming more important. Given the strategic importance of food, some countries, such as China, plan to further increase agricultural production and reduce imports by 2030 to achieve self-sufficiency.
Turkey, which has great opportunities for food trade in this new international process, has some features that only a few countries in the world have. We are the gene centre of wheat and pulses. We have the greatest potential in endemic plant varieties in the world. We have the advantage of Customs Union with EU countries. In addition, we can speak the same language with countries that do not know each other and trade with very different segments. We also have the infrastructure and logistics power to market food products to the world. Despite all these potentials, our share in the world's annual agricultural output of 4.5 trillion dollars is around 70 billion dollars; if we succeed in becoming the centre of food and agricultural products trade in the new global model, we can double our share in the world and increase it to 3 percent.
The cereals, pulses, oilseeds and products sector is the strategic trade area for Turkey's high targets in global agriculture and food trade. According to 2023 data, our sector has realized more than half of the 23.4 billion dollars of herbal product exports in our country. The cereals sector is the apple of our country's eye in agricultural trade, producing 2 percent of the 800 million tons of wheat and 5.5 percent of the 148 million tons of barley produced in the world annually.
The aim of Turkish Food Exporters is to create a strong brand in line with the production and trade potential of our industry and to strengthen our international cooperation with new connections. I would like to express my gratitude to all our stakeholders who have supported us in this field, in which we have made significant progress under the leadership of our Sector Board, and who have given us strength by standing by us under all circumstances.​
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Ahmet TiryakioÄŸlu
Chairman of TÄ°M Cereals, Pulses, Oil Seeds and Products Sector Board