April 18, 2011
 

Turkey to not ship in wheat this year

Unless an unexpected circumstance leads to a disruption to local supply, Turkey will not need to ship in wheat this year, according to Agriculturalists' Association of Turkey (TZD) President Ä°brahim Yetkin.

Turkey's production of wheat is expected to meet domestic demand this year, Yetkin said at a press conference on Sunday (Apr 17) to announce initial estimates relating to fresh fruit and vegetable production as well as that of wheat in Turkey in 2011.

Yetkin said Turkey will produce 20-21 million tonnes of wheat this year, which is approximately a 10% increase compared to last year's 19.6 million tonnes. Annual wheat consumption in Turkey is about 19 million tonnes, he added.

Deadly forest fires last year destroyed a quarter of the grain crop in Russia, which is the world's third largest grain producing nation, leading the country to ban all wheat exports from mid-August. The news alarmed international commodity markets and pushed wheat futures to two-year highs. Although this was unfortunate for other wheat importers, it had little impact on the Turkish market. However, the government still granted the state-owned Soil Products Office (TMO) the right to customs-free imports in December of last year for one million tonnes of wheat to contain the risk of possible price increases in the sector. It also later wiped the 130% tariff on wheat and oat imports till May 1 of this year for the private sector as well.