Ege Hububat Bakliyat Yağlı Tohumlar ve Mamulleri İhracatçıları Birliği increased its exports by 12% in the January–May period of 2025, rising from USD 432 million to USD 483 million.
The Aegean Cereals, Legumes, Oilseeds and Products Exporters Association increased its exports by 12% to USD 483 million from USD 432 million in the January–May period of 2025.
In the five-month period of 2025, the Aegean Cereals, Legumes, Oilseeds and Products Exporters Association, which showed the highest export growth among the 7 agricultural unions under the Aegean Exporters Associations umbrella, reached an export level of USD 1.03 billion over the past 12 months and recovered from its losses in 2024.
Vegetable oil exports take the lion's share
The vegetable oil sector continues to lead by a wide margin among the subsectors of cereals, legumes and oilseeds exports from the Aegean Region. Vegetable oil exports, which were USD 213 million in the January–May period of 2024, rose to USD 268 million in the same period of 2025 with a 25% increase. The vegetable oil sector accounted for a 55% share in the total exports of the Aegean Cereals, Legumes, Oilseeds and Products Exporters Association.
The pet food sector, which has shown significant growth over the past 10 years, held the second position among subsectors with USD 57.5 million in exports during the first five months of 2025. Chocolate confectionery products ranked third with USD 44.5 million in exports.
In the January–May period of 2025, USD 28 million in oilseeds were exported from the Aegean Region, while foreign currency from grain-based products amounted to USD 27 million. Food preparations generated USD 17.8 million in foreign exchange, and spices brought in USD 14 million. Milling products accounted for USD 8 million in exports.
Muhammet Öztürk, Chairman of the Aegean Cereals, Legumes, Oilseeds and Products Exporters Association, noted that the cereals, legumes, oilseeds and products sector is Turkey's leading food products export sector by a wide margin. He pointed out that they experienced a decline in exports in 2024 due to falling commodity prices, and that exports resumed growth in 2025.
Öztürk, providing information that cereals, legumes and oilseeds exports nationwide increased by 4.2% to USD 5.23 billion from USD 5.018 billion in the five-month period of 2025, stated: "We have demonstrated stronger export performance in the Aegean Region. We expect the export growth to continue in the second half of 2025. We aim to reach an export level of USD 1.1 billion by the end of 2025. If export permission to India, one of the Aegean Region's most important export items in poppy seeds, is granted, we could reach USD 1.2 billion in export figures."
Highest exports to Algeria, Libya and Saudi Arabia
In the five-month period of 2025, the Aegean Cereals, Legumes, Oilseeds and Products Exporters Association achieved its highest exports of USD 76.3 million to Algeria. Increasing its exports to Algeria by 38%, the association increased its exports to Libya by 32% to USD 43.7 million from USD 33 million.
Political rapprochement between Turkey and Saudi Arabia was also reflected positively in export figures. The association's exports to Saudi Arabia jumped by 53% to USD 18.2 million from USD 11.9 million.
Other leading destinations for cereals, legumes, oilseeds and products exports from the Aegean Region were Djibouti with USD 17.4 million and the United States with USD 14 million, while exports to Tunisia surged by a record 467% to USD 11 million from USD 2 million. The number of countries to which cereals, legumes and oilseeds are exported reached 140.
Gallery
