IHBIR Achieves USD 970 Million in Exports

Aydın Soyyiğit, Vice Chair of the Board and Incoming Chair Candidate of the Istanbul Cereals, Pulses, Oilseeds and Products Exporters Association (İHBİR), highlighted that the cereals sector experienced record growth in February, stating: "Exports reached USD 970 million with a 52.7% increase." Soyyiğit also shared product-based growth figures, noting that the highest exports were in sugar and sugar products. İHBİR Chair Candidate Aydın Soyyiğit provided his assessment of the cereals sector's February export figures. Expressing that the sector experienced significant growth overall, Aydın Soyyiğit stated that export figures reached USD 970 million. Evaluating product-based growth figures, Soyyiğit further stated: "Sugar and sugar products exports increased 32.96% to USD 49.523 million. Bakery products increased 3.36% to USD 41.114 million, cocoa products increased 29.43% to USD 36.521 million, and milling products increased 134.60% to USD 28.228 million."

"Our association continues to add strength to our country's economy each month"

Aydın Soyyiğit noted that compared to the same month of the previous year, the association reached USD 255.841 million in exports with a 26% increase, stating: "We export to over 200 countries. Our association continues to add strength to our country's economy this month as it does every month. Thanks to the innovations we have brought with our innovative and visionary perspective, our members easily carry out their exports under any difficult conditions. They participate in buying missions. Through the database service we created as an association and our business card archive, they have the opportunity to showcase their high-value-added products."

"We provide convenience to our members through database services"

In line with Turkey's 2023 vision to reach export targets, İHBİR Chair Candidate Aydın Soyyiğit noted that the Board of Directors cooperated with a database platform in 2019 to enable association members to easily reach overseas buyers: "Through the relevant database platform, it was aimed to increase our exports, add value to them, and find new markets. Thanks to the platform, our members who obtain information about finding new buyers and opening new markets with more than 150 million active company details—particularly during the pandemic period—continued to receive services such as sharing of both database and business card archive information. Thus, despite adverse conditions, they continued to export without interruption thanks to these platforms," he said. İHBİR Chair Candidate Soyyiğit, proudly noting that İHBİR carries out exports to over 200 countries, said that despite difficult periods such as the pandemic that brought life to a standstill, İHBİR has "organized over 5,000 bilateral business meetings, organized buying missions to distant countries designated by our Ministry of Commerce. We provided convenience to our members through our data system during the pandemic. We will continue to support our members under any difficult conditions, to produce, and together reach the export targets our country aims for."

We organize VIP buying mission programs

Soyyiğit also said that within March they will organize an international-standard sectoral buying mission in Turkey with the participation of senior purchasing and retail chain executives operating in the food sector covering the entire world, stating: "Simultaneously with the buying mission organization, we will organize various workshops with presentations by world-renowned chefs aimed at promoting Turkey's and our members' products. As Vice Chair continuing my duty in our valued association, we will continue with the same management to pursue our work towards achieving our new targets from where we left off." Soyyiğit concluded by saying: "We will continue to organize programs and produce innovations to increase our exports and support our member companies. These programs, along with our exports, provide important contributions to tourism, development of relations between countries, and mutual trade."