World Food Demand Is Rising

Global Food Demand Rising Turkey achieved USD 25 billion in food product exports in 2022, with the cereals, legumes and oilseeds sector leading food exports at USD 11.4 billion. The sector alone accounted for 46% of Turkey's food exports. The cereals, legumes and oilseeds sector, which is a leader in production and exports, anticipates short-term losses due to the earthquake that occurred in Gaziantep and its surrounding area, but believes that wounds will heal in the medium term and the sector will return to its export targets. From products grown in 7 geographical regions across Anatolia—from flour derived from these crops to vegetable oils, from spices to oilseeds, from confectionery to legumes, from chocolate products to pasta—the cereals, legumes and oilseeds sector, which exports hundreds of food products across more than 10 main categories to all corners of the world, stands as the world's food pantry.

USD 1 billion thank you letter to union members

Ege Hububat Bakliyat Yağlı Tohumlar İhracatçıları Birliği Board Chairman Muhammet Öztürk stated that Aegean cereals, legumes and oilseeds exporters increased their exports by 47% in 2022, raising them from USD 682 million to over USD 1 billion, and became the 6th exporter union under the Aegean Exporters' Unions umbrella to surpass the USD 1 billion threshold. Öztürk sent a thank you letter to union members who contributed to this historic achievement, stating in the letter: "As EHBYİB, while we achieved USD 280 million in exports 10 years ago, by 2022 we have increased our exports approximately 4-fold over 10 years to reach the USD 1 billion level. We feel joy and pride in this accomplishment. Thanks to you valued members and sector stakeholders who contributed to this outstanding export success of our sector, we will continue to work with all our strength, produce and export to increase the USD 1 billion export volume we have reached in the periods ahead and break new records. We congratulate you on the successes you have demonstrated with great dedication in achieving our export targets, and on behalf of myself and the Board of Directors, I extend my gratitude for the contribution and value you have provided to Turkey's production, exports and future." Global food demand is rising, and our exports will increase Noting that the world population has reached 8 billion and is expected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, Öztürk said, "We are losing agricultural land in the world, and global climate change is negatively affecting production. According to World Food Organization data, if we continue consuming at this rate, we would need 1.7 Earths. We have not yet found another planet where we can live outside this world. Under these conditions, we need to protect the balance of nature and our arable land, prevent losses in food production, and focus on research and development work to create a foundation from which we can obtain more and healthier products per unit area. If we take the right steps, food demand is already rising globally, and there is no reason why our exports should not increase. We believe that by 2030 we can achieve USD 2 billion in exports from the Aegean Region," he said.

Anatolian and Mesopotamian lands have the power to heal their wounds quickly

The lands where many products in the cereals, legumes and oilseeds sector's product range are produced and exported intensively are going through a difficult period due to the earthquake on 6 February. EHBYİB Chairman Muhammet Öztürk, noting that a partial decline in production and exports in those regions could be experienced in 2023, continued his remarks as follows: "The Anatolian and Mesopotamian lands, humanity's starting point, are the lands where agricultural production began and have fed humanity for thousands of years. In 2023, these ancient lands accounted for 38% of our sector's USD 11.4 billion in exports. Following the earthquake we experienced, thanks to the measures taken by our Government and the productive people in these lands, we believe that production in these lands will return to normal quickly, and we are confident that we will overcome any local production declines in 2024. We believe it is correct that according to the Decision published in the Official Gazette dated 17 February 2023 regarding the Changes to the Decision on 2022 Agricultural Supports and 2023 Certified Seed Use Support to be Applied, farmers registered in the Farmer Registration System in provinces affected by damage from the earthquakes that occurred on 6/2/2023 and declared as disaster areas will receive 2022 production year diesel and fertilizer support payments in cash. Additionally, we approve the increase of support for cotton in Basin-Based Difference Payments from 110 kr/kg to 160 kr/kg, and the increase of support for oil sunflower from 50 kr/kg to 70 kr/kg." TURQUALITY Project brought success in the US market Recalling that Aegean Exporters' Unions holds a leading position in Turkey's food exports, Ege Hububat Bakliyat Yağlı Tohumlar ve Mamulleri İhracatçıları Birliği Chairman Muhammet Öztürk stated, "To maintain our leadership, together with our 6 Food Unions within EİB, we continue fairs, sectoral trade delegations, buyer delegations, URGE and TURQUALITY projects. With our Turkish Tastes Turquality project, which we conduct in the US market with the support of the Ministry of Trade, we have achieved considerable success. In the food products we introduced in our project, we increased our exports to the US from USD 700 million to over USD 1 billion over a 4-year period. This success record was driven by the projects we continued. In 2023, we are launching the URGE Project to help our members cluster, institutionalize and increase their export competencies," he said. Cereals and vegetable oils dominated exports Noting that in the USD 11.4 billion in exports achieved by the cereals, legumes and oilseeds sector in 2022, cereals products with USD 2.6 billion and animal and vegetable oils with USD 2 billion dominated the sector's exports, Öztürk summarized the contributions of other product groups as follows: "Milling products achieved USD 1.8 billion in exports. With USD 1 billion in sugar and sugar products and USD 905 million in cocoa products, we sweetened the world's mouth. Food preparations accounted for USD 896 million of our exports," he said. Exports to 216 countries and customs territories Turkey exported cereals, legumes and oilseeds to 216 countries and customs territories in 2022, with Iraq topping the list at USD 2.3 billion in exports. The sector's exports to Iraq showed a 43% increase compared to 2021. With the support of EHBYİB's TURQUALITY Project pursued in the US market, cereals, legumes and oilseeds exports to the United States reached USD 708 million with a 28% increase, making the US the second-largest export destination. Syria ranked third in sector exports at USD 562 million, Libya fourth at USD 365 million, and Yemen fifth at USD 322 million. Aegean exporters wrote an epic in North Africa When examining the 2022 exports of Ege Hububat Bakliyat Yağlı Tohumlar ve Mamulleri İhracatçıları Birliği by country, it became clear that they wrote an epic in the North African market. Among the list of 153 countries and customs territories where EHBYİB members exported; Libya topped with USD 119 million in exports, while Aegean exporters achieved a 88% increase in their cereals, legumes and oilseeds exports to Libya in 2022. Algeria followed Libya with a 43% export growth rate and an export performance of USD 113 million. The third position belonged to another North African country, Tunisia, with a record 156% export increase and exports of USD 86 million. India, the world's largest buyer of white poppy seeds in which Turkey is a global production leader, became the fourth-largest export destination for EHBYİB members in 2022 with USD 86 million in white poppy seed demand. Egypt held the fifth position with USD 60 million in demand. Egypt drew attention with a 560% increase in demand. Out of every USD 100 in exports from the Aegean, the vegetable oil sector accounted for USD 58 Announcing the 2022 export performance of Ege Hububat Bakliyat Yağlı Tohumlar ve Mamulleri İhracatçıları Birliği by sector, Chairman Öztürk stated, "The largest contribution to our Union's 2022 exports came from our vegetable oil exporters at USD 580 million with a 51% increase. In other words, in 2022, out of every USD 100 in exports we made, USD 58 was realized by our vegetable oil exporters. Our meals and animal feed exports increased by 67% to USD 123 million, our oilseeds exports increased by 140% to USD 98 million, our chocolate and confectionery exports increased by 3% to USD 48 million, and food preparations increased by 25% to USD 41 million in exports," he said. Öztürk: "We made a bright start to 2023" Emphasizing that as the cereals, legumes and oilseeds sector they made a bright start to 2023, Chairman Öztürk continued his remarks as follows: "In January, our sector's exports across Turkey increased by 19.3%, rising from USD 829 million to USD 989 million. Our exports from the Union advanced by 20% from USD 63 million to USD 76 million. While Iraq maintained its top position in our sector across Turkey with USD 164 million in exports, our exports to the Russian Federation increased by 161% from USD 17 million to USD 44 million. The Russian Federation appears to be one of the markets where our sector will strengthen in 2023. EHBYİB statistics also support this impression. In January 2023, the Russian Federation was the country from which we exported the most from the Aegean Region with a 1,488% increase and USD 9 million in exports. Algeria followed Russia with USD 7 million in exports. Djibouti and Libya followed with USD 5 million each in exports, while Germany found its place among the top 5 countries with a 210% increase and USD 4 million in exports."