Türkiye targets 3 MT of wheat flour exports in 2026
Mesut Çakmak, Chairman of the Board of TUSAF, said exports fell 22.5% year-on-year to about 2.345 million tonnes, but the industry is aiming to recover.
TURKIYE – Türkiye’s wheat flour industry has set a 3 million-tonne export target for 2026, seeking to recover volumes after shipments declined in 2025 despite firmer unit prices and steady market diversification.
Commenting on the 2025 performance, Mesut Çakmak, Chairman of the Board of TUSAF, said exports fell 22.5% year-on-year to about 2.345 million tonnes, but the industry is aiming to recover to 3 million tonnes in 2026.
According to industry figures released under the umbrella of the Turkish Flour Industrialists Federation (TUSAF), Türkiye exported 2.34 million tonnes of wheat flour between January and December 2025, generating USD 873.2 million in revenue.
While volumes fell 22.5% year-on-year to approximately 2.345 million tonnes, the sector maintained pricing strength, with the average export price rising to about USD 373 per tonne.
December shipments totalled 208,020 tonnes valued at USD 74.8 million, broadly in line with the same month in 2024, indicating a stable close to the year.
The industry’s ability to defend value in a lower-volume environment highlights its positioning in premium and semi-premium flour segments across multiple markets.
Syria Emerges as a Fast-Growing Market
A major shift in trade flows marked 2025, with Syria emerging as one of the fastest-growing destinations for Turkish flour.
In December alone, exports to Syria climbed to 56,972 tonnes valued at USD 19.7 million, representing a 41.3% increase in volume and a 48.8% rise in value compared to the previous year. Over the full year, shipments to Syria reached 629,727 tonnes, generating USD 214.3 million in revenue.
This performance helped offset softer volumes in Iraq, traditionally one of Türkiye’s largest flour buyers.
The rebalancing underscores the sector’s agility in reallocating volumes to alternative destinations when key markets weaken.
Beyond the Middle East, Turkish millers reported gains in parts of Africa and selected distant markets.
Growth in Ghana, Somalia, Cuba and Indonesia demonstrated the industry’s ability to leverage established logistics channels and competitive pricing to penetrate diverse regions.
This diversified portfolio remains central to Türkiye’s flour export model, which relies on high-capacity milling infrastructure and proximity to major wheat trade routes.
Provincial Export Footprint
On a provincial basis, Istanbul and Gaziantep retained leadership in export volumes, reflecting their established milling capacity and trading networks.
At the same time, increased shipments from Çorum, Aydın, Bursa and Edirne point to a geographically distributed production base, strengthening resilience across the value chain.
Türkiye’s flour sector remains one of the country’s most visible value-added grain processing industries, combining imported and domestic wheat into finished products destined for food-insecure and price-sensitive markets.
Its export-oriented structure plays a strategic role in both national food supply security and foreign exchange generation.
Competition from Black Sea and regional millers will remain a key factor, particularly as freight rates and wheat procurement costs evolve.
However, Türkiye’s established milling capacity, technical expertise and long-standing trade relationships position the industry to regain momentum.
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