“In the trade of food products, all eyes are back on Türkiye”
FROM THE CHAIRMAN
We left behind a year in which the civil war in Syria came to an end, the sad conflicts between Israel and Palestine unfortunately continued, and many geopolitical tensions deeply affected the world economy. With President Trump taking office in the US, food trade is expected to follow a positive course in the new year, especially as the Russia-Ukraine war is expected to be concluded more quickly and diplomatic relations are expected to soften. The effects of possible tariffs imposed by the US are not yet known.
We know that Russia and Ukraine, which have a combined 24 percent share in world grain exports, need our cooperation as transit routes to open up to foreign markets. In the trade of products in this region, which shifted to alternative routes during the war period, eyes will turn to our country again. Türkiye will become more prominent in regional trade with its increasing logistics investments and its central position in trade with the Middle East and Africa. We believe that we will be one of the fastest responders to the demand in this country when the EU and US sanctions against Russia begin to loosen due to the war conditions. Our bulgur promotion project in Russia continues, and we believe that the return on our investments in communication will be high.
Of course, exports of own goods are as important as access to raw materials. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has made more than 90 billion TL in direct support payments to agriculture and animal husbandry. In a period when the annual increase in the producer price index for agricultural products approaches 50 percent, we find these practices that support producers against adverse conditions such as cost increases and price instability very valuable.
In the new year, when support payments will reach 135 billion TL, we can see that the improvements in our agricultural production are becoming a little more evident under conditions where yield and quality increases are ensured by production planning. According to TURKSTAT data, cereal production decreased by 7.5 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year and amounted to approximately 39 million tons. While the decrease in wheat production was 5.5 percent, this rate reached 12 percent for barley and 15.7 percent for rye. We estimate that 2025 will witness higher yields due to the increase in sowing areas and improvements in precipitation, and that this time we will be able to reach the production target of 22 million tons in wheat production, which we could not achieve in 2024.
In the light of all these data, I would like to express my gratitude to all our stakeholders, especially the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and our 6 Exporters' Associations, who have supported us in the work we have carried out so far under the leadership of our Sector Board and who have given us strength by standing by us under all circumstances.
Ahmet Tiryakioğlu
Chairman of TİM Cereals, Pulses, Oil Seeds and Products Sector Board