The share of the Southeast in Turkey’s total cereal exports for the first quarter was disclosed as 836.5 million dollars out of 3.1 billion dollars. Pasta takes the lead with the highest contribution in this regard.

In the first quarter, the cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and products sector, leading the export scene in the Southeastern Anatolia Region, escalated its exports by 10 percent to reach $836.5 million between January and March. Pasta exports secured the top spot among the region’s staple food items, closely trailed by wheat flour, sunflower seed oil, and sweet biscuits and wafers. Notably, sweet biscuits and wafers witnessed a surge of nearly 35 percent in exports, while cocoa products saw an impressive 45 percent hike. Meanwhile, the export of sugar and sugar products without cocoa soared by almost 120 percent. Despite a 9.4 percent decrease in sales to Africa during this period, exports to the Middle East, the prime export destination, saw a remarkable uptick of 15.4 percent. 

Kadooğlu, who assessed the impact of Iraq’s restrictions on food imports, a crucial market for the cereal sector’s exports, highlighted the following points:

“Our firms in Southeastern Anatolia sell around $100 million worth of essential food products to Iraq monthly, a significant source of revenue for our region. These figures indicate that over half of the sector’s total exports to Iraq originate from our region. Iraq’s share in Turkey’s $3.1 billion total cereal exports for the first quarter amounted to $583 million. However, considering the strong ties between the two nations, there’s evidently untapped potential. Recent restrictive measures, like increased taxes, hinder the realization of this potential. We believe President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Iraq will significantly contribute to the advancement of trade relations between the two countries.”