April 9, 2008

Turkey to import 1 million tonnes of grains by May 2009
 

The Turkish government has mandated the state-owned grain board, or TMO, to import 700,000 tonnes of wheat and 300,000 tonnes of corn by the end of May 2009, without any customs taxes, the official gazette showed Tuesday, the Ihlas News Agency, or IHA, reported.

The board had been mandated September last year to import 800,000 tonnes of wheat and 300,000 tonnes of each of barley and corn.

Turkey's grain production is traditionally enough for domestic needs but last year, drought hit the crops and TMO started issuing international purchase tenders.

Turkish wheat production may fall 30 percent in 2008 if the drought continues, the general president of The Union of Turkish Agricultural Chambers, or TZOB, Semsi Bayraktar said on Friday.