Southeast Grain Exports Reach $2.5 Billion
· Tarım Pusulası
Grains and pulses exports from Southeastern Anatolia rose by 6.6% to $2.5 billion in the first eight months of the year, with the region maintaining its leadership across Turkey.
According to data from the Southeast Anatolian Exporters' Associations (GAİB), the region's exports of grains, pulses, oilseeds, and their products increased by 6.6% to $2.5 billion in the first eight months of the year compared to the same period last year. Sector exports in August alone were recorded at $274.3 million. Southeastern Anatolia successfully maintained its leadership position, accounting for 31% of Turkey's total grain exports. The total volume of products shipped from the region during the eight-month period reached approximately 3 million tons.
Processed agricultural products and vegetable oils led the shipments from the region. Approximately 832,000 tons of pasta, 513,000 tons of wheat flour, and 314,000 tons of sunflower oil were supplied to foreign markets during the eight-month period. Sunflower oil exports, which generated the highest revenue, increased by 30% to $520.5 million. Pasta exports, ranking second on the list, showed a 13.2% increase, reaching a volume of $447.7 million.
The Middle East was the region's largest market with a share exceeding $1 billion, while exports to African countries amounted to $885 million. Addressing the challenges in global trade, TİM Board Member and GAİB Pulses Union Chairman Celal Kadooğlu made the following assessment:
Kadooğlu emphasized that port congestion in the Black Sea basin and geopolitical risks centered around the Strait of Hormuz are increasing freight costs and making access to raw materials more difficult.
Evaluating interventions in the domestic raw material balance, Celal Kadooğlu described the Turkish Grain Board's (TMO) decision to advance the sales season as a vital and valuable intervention. Kadooğlu explained the significance of the TMO's move with the following words:
Kadooğlu highlighted the assurance this measure provided to manufacturers and exporters.
Despite logistics and freight costs, the region's exports to the US market increased by 25.3% to $243.9 million. During the same period, exports to the African market also saw a 25.4% increase; demand for flour, pasta, and vegetable oil remained strong, particularly in Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Oman, and Niger. Kadooğlu stated that their goal for the final quarter of the year is to expand their market share in the US with value-added products and to leverage the logistical advantages of neighboring geographies.
| Value | Period | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 billion $ | First 8 months | Regional 8-month grain exports |
| 6.6% | First 8 months | 8-month export increase rate |
| 274.3 million $ | August | August sector exports |
| 31% | First 8 months | Sector share in Turkey's total |
| 3 million tonnes | First 8 months | Total exported product quantity |
| 832 thousand tonnes | First 8 months | Pasta export quantity |
| 513 thousand tonnes | First 8 months | Wheat flour export quantity |
| 314 thousand tonnes | First 8 months | Sunflower oil export quantity |
| 520.5 million $ | First 8 months | Sunflower oil export revenue |
| 30% | First 8 months | Sunflower oil export value increase |
| 447.7 million $ | First 8 months | Pasta export revenue |
| 13.2% | First 8 months | Pasta export value increase |
| 885 million $ | First 8 months | Exports to African countries |
| 243.9 million $ | First 8 months | US market export revenue |
| 25.3% | First 8 months | US market export increase |
| 25.4% | First 8 months | African market export increase |