The “Extended Sector Meeting” organized by the Anatolian and Dicle Flour Industrialists Associations was held in Antalya. Under the umbrella of the Turkish Flour Industrialists Federation (TFIF), the “Extended Sector Meeting” assessed the year 2024. The event, held under the theme “Post-Harvest Grain Prices and Sectoral Reflections,” brought together public officials, NGOs, and private sector representatives.

The Post-Harvest Extended Sector Evaluation Meeting, bringing together organizations serving the flour industry under one roof, was hosted by the Anatolian Flour Industrialists Association (AUSD) and the Dicle Flour Industrialists Association (DUNSAD) this year. The meeting, held in Antalya from October 18-20, 2024, focused on the theme “Post-Harvest Grain Markets and Sectoral Reflections.”

Speaking at the opening of the congress, where we participated as Media Partner, Haluk Tezcan, Chairman of the Board of TFIF, emphasized the importance of such congresses in determining the future of the flour industry. He said, “Thanks to the support of our government and relevant institutions, our innovative efforts, and the quality of our products, Turkish flour industrialists have been the world export leaders for the last 10 years. With an export of about 4 million tons of flour, we account for nearly 30% of global flour trade. The import bans imposed are harming the industry.”

Haluk Tezcan, Chairman of the Board of TFIF

In his speech, Haluk Tezcan also invited members and industry stakeholders to the 19th Congress, which will be held again in Antalya in 2025. He said, “As the Turkish Flour Industrialists Federation, we will hold our 19th International Congress and Exhibition with the theme ‘Sustainable Future: Climate, Water, Agriculture’ from February 13-16, 2025, at the Granada Luxury Belek Hotel in Antalya.”

TMO, THE INSURANCE OF FOOD SUPPLY SECURITY

In his opening speech, Ahmet Güldal, Chairman and General Manager of the Turkish Grain Board (TMO), discussed the importance of TMO’s decisions and steps in regulating grain markets, as the largest actor in the grain market.

Güldal stated that harvest periods are times when TMO interacts closely with producers, meets with sector stakeholders, addresses their needs, purchases products, makes payments, and contributes to solving problems and storage needs. He said, “During the 2024 harvest period, TMO, with its 86 years of experience, has once again proven that it is the insurance of food supply security in plant production by fulfilling its duties with excellence.”

Ahmet Güldal, Chairman and General Manager of the Turkish Grain Board (TMO)

Noting that developments in the 2020s have caused fluctuating trends in production, trade, and logistics, particularly in the grain sector, Güldal said:

“What have we experienced? First, there was a currency crisis in our country. Then, we faced a two-year-long pandemic. All of these led to global logistical disruptions, price distortions, and negative impacts on food supply security. After that, we went through the crisis brought about by the war between two grain-producing countries. Against this crisis, the grain corridor initiative, closely followed by our President to contribute to global food security, was successfully implemented. In 2021, our country experienced a severe drought, and our plant production, especially in grains, declined sharply. Başta hububat olmak üzere bitkisel üretimimiz çok düştü. However, in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, we experienced prosperity. There was a significant agricultural production, and we had high yields in grains. In 2024, although there was a slight decrease, production levels in Turkey were within the average. We went through these processes together, walked this path together, and managed it together. During the pandemic and drought periods, the state entrusted tasks to TMO. Under this regulatory role, we carried out necessary imports. During this period, significant sacrifices were made to ensure that both our consumers and industrialists did not fall behind in production and did not face problems in consumption and supply security. As TMO, we followed the process for two years and carried out our regulatory role by subsidizing nearly half of the costs for industrialists and bread producers.”

“THE INDUSTRY MUST ALSO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO INTEGRATE STOCKS INTO THE ECONOMY”

Güldal stated that a record purchase of 13.1 million tons was achieved in the high-yield 2023 period, and these products were stored in TMO warehouses, licensed warehouses, rented warehouses, and open bulk storage sites. He mentioned that efforts are underway to reduce the large volume of stocks accumulated from this year’s purchases, including starting sales and making adjustments to the practices within the inward processing regime (DİR) framework. He added: “Both producers and the state are making the necessary sacrifices in carrying the current burden. On behalf of the state, TMO has been tolerating and preserving this stock burden physically and financially for nearly two years. In our monthly meetings with our provincial organizations, we tell them that the products in our stocks are a national treasure entrusted to us. These products belong to the nation and are entrusted to us. Ultimately, we have carefully monitored the 2023 harvest for a year, inspecting it every two weeks during the summer for pests and during the winter for climatic problems or risks, keeping it safe. We have brought it to this point, watching over it like our own. Fortunately, we have not encountered any problems so far. While making this sacrifice as the state, we ensured that no one was harmed. We consider it very important to work together with the sector to integrate national stocks into the country’s economy. We expect the sector to also take responsibility in this regard.”

“MULTIPLE CRITERIA WERE CONSIDERED IN THE IMPORT RESTRICTIONS”

Güldal also emphasized that, at this stage, in order to integrate existing stocks into the economy, changes were made in the duration and form of import restrictions, with the agreement of relevant ministries and economic authorities, to ensure stability in domestic consumption, balance in the market, and contribute to foreign trade. He explained: “When making this decision, the quantity, preservation, quality of our stocks, global prices, how to respond to the decline in exports, and the needs of the sector were all considered. The Turkish Grain Board (TMO) will successfully carry out its preservation and regulatory duties to the end. As long as stocks in Turkey have not normalized, we will continue to manage and execute this process persistently and effectively.”

NEW 750,000-TON INVESTMENT IN THE PASTA INDUSTRY

In a statement made during a session at the TFIF Congress, Nihat Uysallı, President of the Pasta Manufacturers and Industrialists Association (MÜSAD), claimed that according to Acnielsen measurements, Turkey represents 60% of the pasta market and 70% of the sector’s brand recognition. He emphasized that the association’s goal is to strengthen the image of “Turkish Pasta,” elevate the pasta industry to the place it deserves in terms of value, and increase the export of value-added products.

Nihat Uysallı
President of the MÜSAD

Uysallı, providing information about durum wheat, the largest raw material for pasta, stated, “Global durum wheat production is expected to decrease by about 9% this year, reaching 31.4 million tons. In Turkey, however, both the yield and planted area for durum wheat have increased this year. While production of durum wheat for pasta has decreased in all major exporting countries, our country’s production increased by 14.7%, reaching 4.3 million tons. In 2023, when looking at the unit price of the countries that imported the most pasta, Japan ranked first with $1,003 per ton, while Iraq had the lowest export price at $514 per ton. In 2023, the largest share of exports went to the African region, which accounted for nearly 55% of our total exports.”

MÜSAD (Pasta Manufacturers and Industrialists Association) President Nihat Uysallı, sharing information about Turkey’s pasta production capacity, said, “Turkey’s current pasta production capacity is at the level of 3,000,000 tons. With the 6-8 factories that are currently in the investment phase and are about to be operational, this capacity will reach 3,750,000 tons. With an increase of 750,000 tons in production capacity, we are becoming the world’s largest pasta producer. Are we ready for this?”

GLOBAL GRAIN PRODUCTION RISES BY 20 MILLION TON

Özkan Taşpınar, Chairman of the Board of the National Grain Council (UHK), stated in his speech that the total global grain production, which includes corn, wheat, barley, sorghum, millet, and oats, is expected to increase by 20.3 million tons this year, reaching 2 billion 285.2 million tons. Taşpınar noted that there is expected to be a decrease of 8.16 million tons in corn production, while wheat production is anticipated to increase by 10.47 million tons. UHK Chairman Taşpınar listed the risks in grain production as the increasing complexity of global issues, climate change, pandemics, wars and tensions, migration, energy costs, logistics costs and issues, and growing populations.

Özkan Taşpınar, Chairman of the Board of the National Grain Council (UHK)

Speaking about agricultural production planning, Taşpınar stated that the new model is an important opportunity for Turkish agriculture and will grow and develop with the support of all sector stakeholders. He also shared his views on what can be done for sustainable grain production:

Projects to bring water from external basins to regions with water shortages should be reconsidered, and ongoing dam and pond projects should be completed quickly.

Every year, approximately 3.5 million hectares of land are left fallow in our country. More effective programs are needed to reduce fallow land.

Expanding income protection insurance for wheat nationwide has been an important step.

It should be considered to make TARSİM Insurance mandatory for all grain products.

For the sustainability of the production of oats, rye, and triticale, which are intensively used in human and animal nutrition, it would be appropriate to announce the intervention purchase prices equal to those of barley.

Social projects that will prevent the depopulation and aging of rural areas must be urgently and effectively implemented.

Encouraging agricultural energy investments through unions and cooperatives should be promoted to reduce agricultural energy costs.

The goals related to the intermediary system in the ELÜS market and TÜRİB Futures Trading should be evaluated by all stakeholders and established on a sound basis.

Ahmet Güldal, General Manager of the Turkish Grain Board (TMO), visited the IDMA stand at the “Post-Harvest Grain Prices and Sectoral Implications” congress held in Antalya by the Anatolian Flour Industrialists Association (AUSD) and the Dicle Flour Industrialists Association (DUNSAD), affiliated with the Turkish Flour Industrialists Federation (TFIF). He received information about the IDMA Fairs and extended his regards to IDMA Fair Board Chairman Muhammet Ali Kalkan. We provided General Manager Ahmet Güldal with the IDMA fair schedule, and he wished us success for our upcoming events as he departed. The protocol delegation also visited our stand for BBM and Miller Magazines, where they learned more about our publications.

At the post-harvest extended sector evaluation meeting held in Antalya, hosted by the Anatolian Flour Industrialists Association and the Dicle Flour Industrialists Association, we met with Alpaslan Uz, General Manager of Balaguer Rolls Turkey, and Sales Engineer Melda Karaçam. We had the opportunity to discuss both the dynamics of the industry and Balaguer Rolls’ solutions and activities. 

As part of the important event in Antalya, we had a valuable discussion with Hasan Tarhan, Chairman of the Board of Endüstriyel, a company providing engineering services in areas such as process automation, control systems, and energy management, along with Sales Manager Tevfik Alız and Electrical Electronics Engineer Mert Çolak. We held an in-depth conversation on sustainable energy solutions in the milling sector. Sustainability has become one of the most critical topics on the agenda of today’s industry. Endüstriyel plays a pioneering role in this area, and the company’s solutions in automation, energy generation, and savings are particularly noteworthy.

At the extended sector evaluation meeting in Antalya, which brought together the world’s top flour industry exporters, we had the opportunity to meet with Jetmaster General Manager and accomplished academic Dr. Nihat Çankaya. Known in the industry for his R&D projects on process automation and control systems, Dr. Çankaya explained the working principles of his newly designed high-tech process control devices and highlighted the significant energy-saving benefits they offer. Innovation and advanced technology solutions are critical for our sector. We believe that the innovations Dr. Nihat Çankaya has introduced will further enhance the competitiveness of flour producers. 

During our visit to their booth at the congress center in Antalya, we had an enjoyable conversation with Alper Işıksal, Sales Team Leader of Meko, one of the leading companies in the automation sector. We had the opportunity to assess recent developments in the sector as well as Meko’s new projects and objectives. With over 40 years of experience, Meko provides industrial automation services to 17 different sectors, including flour, feed, and poultry industries. The company offers turnkey electrical and automation system solutions both domestically and internationally, and builds digital factories. Meko operates over 3,000 systems in more than 50 countries.

Our stand attracted significant interest from the industry at the post-harvest extended sector evaluation meeting held in Antalya, hosted by the Anatolian Flour Industrialists Association and the Dicle Flour Industrialists Association. We had a pleasant conversation with Stern Ingredients Turkey Sales Director Özkan Kaplan, who visited our stand. While discussing the latest developments in the industry, we shared the content of our magazine with him. Özkan Kaplan’s positive feedback and constructive comments about our magazine made us happy. 

During our booth visits, we had the opportunity to meet with Abdurrazak Ölekli, General Manager, and Fulya Nuran Aşkar, Marketing Manager of Istanbul-based Ala Shipping and Chartering Ltd. Co., to discuss the critical role of grain logistics in global food security. We listened to Abdurrazak Ölekli’s valuable insights on how global events such as the pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and tensions in the Red Sea have created pressures in this strategic sector. In these crisis moments, the role of industry leaders like Ala Shipping and Chartering becomes even more pronounced. Ala is a significant player in the industry, offering agency, chartering, brokerage, and ship management services for bulk cargo and general cargo vessels in Turkish straits and ports. Specializing in dry bulk shipping, including steel, minerals, grain, coal, and project cargo, the company plays a key role as a bridge in grain trade.