Browse Data and Analysis

Facing dry growing conditions and slumping cotton prices, Turkish farmers are expected to switch from cotton to produce more sunflowerseeds and other row crops in marketing year (MY) 2025/26.

In October 2024, the National Biosafety Committee (NBC) authorized imports of genetically engineered (GE) soybeans for food, feed, and processing. GE soybean imports are expected to resume in 2025, boosting prospects that the 1.5-million-ton import forecast for 2024/25 will be achieved.

Sunflowerseed production in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 is forecast to drop to its lowest level in almost a decade due to extremely dry weather conditions in the northeast part of the country, where more than half of the production is concentrated.

While there is still considerable uncertainty regarding implementation, in January 2024 the government approved a system allowing for the resumption of genetically engineered commodity imports.

Dashboard that demonstrates the scope of Black Sea grain and oilseed trade. Millions of tons of grain are shipped through these international waters each year, making the Black Sea region a major supplier of agricultural commodities worldwide.

As of March 2023, Pakistani authorities still ban genetically engineered (GE) oilseed imports. While they have made some progress in developing a system to allow for GE oilseed imports, uncertainty regarding when that system will be operative clouds the outlook for oilseed imports.

Turkey’s production of major oilseeds – sunflowerseeds, cottonseeds, and soybeans – in marketing year (MY) 2023/24 is projected to decrease year-over-year because of pre-earthquake market dynamics.

Due to the recent ban on genetically engineered (GE) commodity imports, the 2022/23 soybean import forecast is reduced from 2.5 to 1.2 million tons. With the lower expected soybean imports, 2022/23 crush and soybean meal output is reduced accordingly.

Turkey recently announced that the tariff on imported sunflowerseed would increase from zero to 5 percent from October 27 through the end of 2022. This revision coincides with Turkey’s sunflowerseed harvest.

With favorable weather conditions and an expansion in the area harvested, Turkey’s sunflowerseed production is forecast to hit a record of 1.9 million metric tons (MMT) in marketing year (MY) 2022/23. Production of sunflower meal and oil are likewise projected at record highs.

Due to the poultry industry’s slow recovery and sluggish consumer demand for edible oils, no significant growth in oilseed and edible oil use is forecast for 2022/23. Likewise, soybean, canola, and palm oil imports in 2022/23 are forecast to remain similar to 2021/22 levels.

Turkey’s production of major oilseeds – sunflowerseeds, cottonseeds, and soybeans – in MY 2022/23 is projected to rebound from the previous year as strong prices are expected to spur increased plantings.