Türkiye’s nine-month grain, pulses and oilseeds exports fall 1.7% to $8.88 billion

Export revenue declines despite broad product mix

Türkiye exported $8.88 billion of grains, pulses, oilseeds and related products during the first nine months of the year, according to information compiled by Anadolu Agency from Turkish Exporters Assembly data. The sector shipped 7.89 million tonnes between January and September.

The precise export value was $8.880522 billion, a decline of 1.7% from the same period a year earlier. The figures cover both agricultural commodities and manufactured foods, giving the sector a broad revenue base but also exposing it to movements in raw-material costs, consumer demand, freight rates and access to regional markets.

Sunflower oil leads product rankings

Sunflower oil was Türkiye’s largest export category in the group, generating $931.949 million. Chocolate and cocoa products ranked second at $780.791 million, followed by sweet biscuits and wafers at $764.962 million. Together, the three categories generated approximately $2.48 billion, equivalent to nearly 28% of the sector’s total export revenue.

The ranking shows the importance of processed products alongside bulk agricultural goods. Sunflower oil contributed about 10.5% of total earnings, while chocolate and cocoa products and sweet biscuits and wafers each accounted for close to 9%. This mix links export performance not only to crop availability but also to refining, food-processing capacity, packaging and access to retail and wholesale distribution channels.

Iraq remains the largest destination

Iraq was the leading market, buying $1.117 billion of Turkish products and accounting for 12.6% of total exports. The United States followed with $668.158 million, while Syria ranked third at $402.439 million. The results underline the continued weight of neighboring Middle Eastern markets, although substantial sales to the United States provide some geographic diversification.

Nihat Uysallı, chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly’s sector board for grains, pulses, oilseeds and products, told Anadolu Agency that climate change, drought and logistics disruptions were harming global food supply chains. He said buyers were placing greater emphasis on dependable supply and timely delivery rather than price alone.

Logistics reshape competition in food trade

According to Uysallı, the diversion of products to new routes, insufficient road and rail capacity and sharply higher freight costs have largely eroded the price advantage of Black Sea grain. Products that appear inexpensive may be unable to leave ports or may incur substantial additional transport costs, changing how international buyers make purchasing decisions.

Uysallı argued that Türkiye benefits from functioning port infrastructure, alternative raw-material supply networks and the ability to respond rapidly to changes across markets. These capabilities may help Turkish processors compete on delivery reliability, but the 1.7% decline in export value shows that logistical positioning has not fully offset weaker revenue. For producers, processors and traders, the product mix and the performance of Iraq, the United States and Syria will remain central to the sector’s results.