Welcoming more than 8,000 professional visitors from over 120 countries, IDMA Istanbul 2026 brought together the global grain, feed and food processing industries in Istanbul. Held at the Istanbul Expo Center, the exhibition hosted more than 200 brands and created a platform for thousands of B2B meetings, paving the way for nearly $1 billion in new trade and investment opportunities. Running alongside the exhibition, the IDMA Global Grain & Milling Forum added a strong strategic dimension to the event with discussions on food security, global grain trade, digitalization, artificial intelligence, storage, logistics and sustainability.

IDMA Istanbul 2026, one of the most important international gatherings for grain, feed and food processing technologies, was held at the Istanbul Expo Center on June 25-27. Over three days, the exhibition brought together global buyers, technology suppliers, investors, millers, feed producers, pasta and biscuit manufacturers, traders, public institutions and sector professionals. With strong visitor traffic, international purchasing delegations, technology launches, business meetings and forum sessions, IDMA once again demonstrated its role as one of the key global platforms for the industry.

Covering flour, feed, corn processing, semolina, rice, bulgur, pulses, pasta and biscuit technologies, as well as storage, handling, packaging, automation, quality control, laboratory systems and digital solutions, the exhibition presented a broad picture of the grain and food processing value chain.

Beyond being a showcase for machinery and technologies, IDMA Istanbul served as an international platform where new partnerships were built, investment decisions were shaped and the strategic issues facing the global grain ecosystem were discussed.

MORE THAN 8,000 PROFESSIONAL VISITORS FROM OVER 120 COUNTRIES

IDMA Istanbul 2026 welcomed more than 8,000 professional visitors from over 120 countries. Buyers and industry representatives from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, the Balkans, Latin America and the Far East had the opportunity to meet directly with participating companies in Istanbul.

Throughout the exhibition, more than 200 brands presented their latest products and services in grain processing, milling, feed production, pasta and biscuit technologies, storage, handling, packaging, automation, quality control, laboratory equipment and digital systems.

IDMA GENERATES NEARLY $1 BILLION IN TRADE POTENTIAL

The participation of purchasing delegations and official delegations from more than 60 countries further strengthened the export-oriented character of IDMA Istanbul 2026. Thousands of bilateral business meetings held during the three-day exhibition paved the way for nearly $1 billion in new trade and investment opportunities. This strong commercial momentum highlighted IDMA’s growing importance not only for Türkiye, but also for the global grain and food processing technology sectors.

MILLING TECHNOLOGIES MEET GLOBAL DEMAND IN ISTANBUL

IDMA Istanbul 2026 also provided an opportunity to present the current strength of Türkiye’s milling and food processing technology sector to international visitors. Türkiye has built a strong export performance over many years in milling machinery, grain processing equipment, storage systems, automation solutions and turnkey plant installations. IDMA Istanbul brought this industrial know-how together with global buyers. Participating companies did not only display their existing products. They also introduced new technologies, digital solutions, energy-efficient systems and innovations designed to support more sustainable production.

The strong interest shown by visitors from Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and Latin America, where grain processing investments continue to expand, created new export opportunities for Turkish machinery manufacturers.

In this respect, IDMA Istanbul made Türkiye’s production capacity, engineering capability and international competitiveness in grain and food processing technologies more visible on the global stage.

A PLATFORM FOR INVESTMENT, TECHNOLOGY AND EXPORTS

One of the most notable features of the exhibition was its ability to bring investors and technology providers of different scales under one roof. Industrial companies planning new plant investments, businesses seeking to expand capacity, producers looking to modernize existing lines and companies searching for digitalization solutions met leading brands of the sector at IDMA Istanbul. Energy efficiency, automation, food safety, process control, sustainability, waste reduction and quality standardization have become increasingly important in grain processing. The technologies displayed at IDMA Istanbul 2026 reflected this transformation.

Visitors had the chance to examine a wide range of technologies, from high-capacity milling systems and smart sensors to automatic packaging solutions, laboratory equipment, storage and handling systems and digital monitoring infrastructure.

The gathering of professionals from different countries also underlined IDMA’s value as a platform for international sector dialogue. For exhibitors and visitors, the fair offered not only access to new customers, but also an opportunity to observe investment trends, technology needs and regional opportunities in different markets.

IDMA GLOBAL GRAIN & MILLING FORUM ADDS STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE

One of the most important components of IDMA Istanbul 2026 was the IDMA Global Grain & Milling Forum, held alongside the exhibition. Over two days, the forum focused on critical issues such as global grain trade, food security, agricultural production in an age of crisis, Industry 4.0 in milling, changing consumer demands in pasta and baking, and innovations in grain storage, handling and logistics.

Local and international experts, public officials, academics, industry leaders and representatives of international organizations came together at the forum. The sessions addressed not only current market challenges, but also the structural transformations the sector is likely to face in the coming years.

Food security sessions focused on geopolitical risks, climate change, energy and fertilizer costs, food prices and supply chain resilience. The Industry 4.0 session examined artificial intelligence, data management, automation and smart milling applications. Pasta and baking sessions highlighted consumer expectations, clean label, functional products and technological innovation. The storage and logistics session brought Türkiye’s potential to become a regional grain trading hub into the discussion.

The forum showed that IDMA Istanbul is not only an exhibition for machinery and technologies. It is also an international knowledge platform where ideas, data and strategic insights shaping the future of the sector are shared.

‘IDMA IS A COMMON SHOWCASE FOR GRAIN-BASED INDUSTRIES’

The sectoral impact of IDMA Istanbul 2026 was also highlighted in the opening speeches. Ahmet Güldal, Director General of the Turkish Grain Board (TMO), drew attention to the importance of grain-based industries for the national economy. He said sectors that transform the work of Turkish producers into added value came together under the umbrella of IDMA.

Ahmet Güldal, Director General of the Turkish Grain Board (TMO)

Güldal reminded participants that Türkiye ranks first in global flour exports and second in pasta exports. He said IDMA is important because it demonstrates to the world the level Türkiye has reached in grain-based industries. He also underlined that bringing together domestic machinery manufacturers, industrial companies, exporters and public institutions on the same platform creates strong synergy for the sector. According to Güldal, IDMA is valuable in terms of knowledge sharing, technology transfer, new partnerships and access to global markets.

Mesut Çakmak
Chairman of TUSAF

Mesut Çakmak, Chairman of the Turkish Flour Industrialists’ Federation (TUSAF), also emphasized the international position IDMA has achieved. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Çakmak said that IDMA, organized for more than 21 years, has become one of the most important organizations in the world for milling and food processing technologies. He described the fair as “a major showcase for an ecosystem where agriculture, industry, technology and exports come together.”

Çakmak noted that Turkish companies do not only sell machinery. They also develop projects, build plants, provide training, install automation systems and carry their know-how to the world. He emphasized that Turkish milling machinery manufacturers are establishing turnkey plants across a wide geography, from Africa to Central Asia and from the Middle East to South America.

‘IDMA SHOWS THE COMMON STRENGTH OF THE SECTOR’

Zeki Demirtaşoğlu
Chairman of DESMÜD

Zeki Demirtaşoğlu, Chairman of the Association of Milling and Sector Machinery Manufacturers (DESMÜD), said IDMA is an important meeting point that reflects Türkiye’s production strength, engineering capability and global vision in milling, processing and storage technologies. Demirtaşoğlu said Türkiye has become one of the leading countries in grain, oilseed, pulse processing and storage technologies. He noted that the sector exports to more than 180 countries today.

According to Demirtaşoğlu, the sector’s exports stood at $3.6 billion in 2024 and increased by 18% in dollar terms in 2025, reaching $4.28 billion. He added that, with an export value of $14-16 per kilogram, the sector has become one of the high value-added areas of Turkish industry.

Demirtaşoğlu said DESMÜD sees IDMA as an important organization for the international promotion of the sector. He expressed his belief that the exhibition will further strengthen Türkiye’s leading position in milling, processing and storage technologies.

KALKAN: IDMA BUILDS TRADE BRIDGES ACROSS THE GLOBAL GRAIN INDUSTRY

Muhammet Ali Kalkan, Chairman of HAGE Group, said IDMA Istanbul 2026 was completed with results above expectations and further strengthened the fair’s position in the global grain and food processing sector. “IDMA Istanbul 2026 has once again proved that it is not only an exhibition where products are displayed, but a global business platform where trade bridges are built between countries, new investments are shaped and the future of the sector is discussed,” Kalkan said.

Muhammet Ali Kalkan, Chairman of HAGE Group

He stated that the intensive visitor traffic, thousands of business meetings and new commercial partnerships formed over three days clearly demonstrated the international strength of the Turkish milling technology sector. “The interest generated this year and the trade volume created have further strengthened the global impact of the IDMA brand,” Kalkan added.

Kalkan said HAGE Group aims to bring even more international buyers, investors and technology manufacturers together in Istanbul in the coming period. “We will continue to grow Türkiye’s leadership in grain and food processing technologies on a global scale,” he said.

IDMA REINFORCES ITS GLOBAL POSITION

With its visitor numbers, international profile, trade potential, forum sessions and ability to bring all stakeholders of the sector together under one roof, IDMA Istanbul 2026 further strengthened its position as one of the global reference exhibitions for grain and food processing technologies.

The exhibition made Türkiye’s production and export strength in grain and food processing technologies more visible, while also serving as a platform where the future of the global sector was discussed. By bringing together professionals from more than 120 countries in Istanbul, IDMA Istanbul 2026 reinforced its role as a global meeting point for the grain, feed and food processing technology industries.