The Russian Federation is ready to become a reliable supplier of grain and leguminous crops in the Turkish market. The Ministry of Agriculture will make every effort to ensure that the trade flow is stable and gradually growing, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sergey Levin at a round table discussion titled "Prospects for expanding Russia-Turkey cooperation in the trade of grains and leguminous crops". The event took place within the framework of a business mission of Russian exporters in Istanbul, reported Interfax.
Levin's words are cited in a press release from the "Agroexport" center at the Ministry of Agriculture.
As Levin noted, in 2021, more than 40% of all Russian agricultural exports to Turkey consisted of wheat. "The significance of Russian supplies for the Turkish market is hard to overestimate: in the current season, the share of Russian wheat in the Turkish import structure is three-quarters, barley - more than half, corn - over 40%," he clarified. - Servicing such a flow of goods is a complex task that requires additional attention in today's conditions. "
While there are challenges, in the current situation, no grain exporting company, including foreign ones, has announced a halt to operations, noted Eduard Zernin, Chairman of the Grain Exporters Union's Board of Directors. "In Turkey, we work with the government sector, private grain consumers, and flour mills. Today, our main task is to maintain shipment volumes, and there is every reason to believe that Russia will increase export volumes next season," he added.
Deputy CEO of the United Grain Company (OZK) Ksenia Bolomatova stated that the company aims to better understand the end consumer in Turkey and establish interaction with them, leading to an increase in direct sales volume: if their share was 11% in 2018, it was over 60% in 2021.
Turkish representatives are also counting on expanding trade, especially since, as noted by Ahmet Guldal, CEO and Chairman of the Turkish Grain Council, there will be a good harvest in Turkey and the Black Sea basin countries.
To ensure a stable flow, it is necessary to address a number of current issues related to logistics, finances, and settlements, warned Eren Gunhan Ulusoy, Director of the International Association of Flour Producers. "For 25 years, Turkey has been importing grain from Russia and will continue to purchase in the future. Therefore, it is crucial to find mechanisms to overcome emerging obstacles," he noted. In this regard, he called for exploring new logistical solutions, including regulatory ones, that would improve ship accessibility, reduce freight costs, and increase loading and unloading speed in ports.
Aras Demir, Chairman of the distributing company Vivalon AG (which handles 27 vessels that transport grain from Russia to Turkey, mainly wheat), reported that with support from Russia, the company could significantly increase transit grain trade volumes.