The Turkish pasta industry, one of the most important players in the world pasta industry, showed great interest in the workshop titled “Pasta Industry in Turkey, General Evaluation and Future Expectations” held in Gaziantep, the capital of pasta. In the workshop, a roadmap was drawn for the sector.
“Pasta Industry, General Evaluation and Future Expectation Workshop in Turkey” was held in cooperation with the Food Innovation Platform of Turkey (TÜGİP), Gaziantep Commodity Exchange (GTB), Pasta Industrialists Association of Turkey (TMSD) and Association of Pasta Manufacturers and Industrialists (MÜSAD). In the workshop where pasta production, consumption, and trade in the world and in Turkey were evaluated, pasta producers expressed their problems, demands and suggestions especially regarding the raw material and foreign market.
Along with pasta industrialists, representatives of public institutions, academics and industry professionals also participated in the workshop led by the Turkish Food Innovation Platform.
In the statement of TÜGİP, it was informed that 3 million tons of pasta is produced annually in Turkey and half of it is exported, generating an income of 800 million dollars. It was emphasized that the pasta industry aims to increase this export to the level of 2 billion dollars by increasing this import also by unit value.
In the workshop where pasta production, consumption and trade in the world and in Turkey were discussed in detail; the problems, demands, and suggestions of pasta producers, especially related to raw materials and foreign markets, during the journey of the product from the field to the fork were assessed.
MOTHERLAND OF DURUM WHEAT: ANATOLIA
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Gaziantep Commodity Exchange Board Chairman Mehmet Akıncı said that Anatolian and Mesopotamian lands are the motherland of durum wheat. Pointing out that the strategic importance of pasta was better understood during the pandemic period, Akıncı said, “Our pasta industry has made a significant breakthrough in recent years. Our sector representatives are decisively raising the bar for success with their advanced technological infrastructure and equipment. Our pasta producers earned 780 million dollars from their exports of 1 million 370 thousand tons of products to 160 countries in 2021. Our city and region, which forms the pillar of general production, has achieved approximately 75 percent of this export. We hope that our exporters will exceed 1 billion dollars in foreign trade this year.”