Oilseeds production in Turkey is expected to increase in the 2024/25 marketing year compared to the previous year, due to larger soyabean, sunflowerseed and cottonseed crops resulting from favourable growing conditions, according to a report by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)’s Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report projected a 12% increase in total oilseeds production to 3.1M tonnes.
“This increase in production is attributed to strong domestic demand for oilseeds and their respective by-products, continued government support to farmers, and assumes favourable weather conditions throughout the crop year,” the USDA said in the Turkey: Oilseeds and Products report.
The Turkish government continued to make payments to farmers to incentivise oilseed production, with a production premium paid based on the amount produced and a separate area-based payment made to offset rising fuel and fertiliser costs, the 7 March report said.
Sunflowerseed production was expected to increase by 8% to 1.675M tonnes to meet rising consumption demands, which were forecast to increase to 2.4M tonnes, up 300,000 tonnes from the previous year. Imports are also forecast to increase by 175,000 tonnes to 775,000 tonnes.
The USDA projected a slight increase in soyabean production with a 10,000 tonne increase to a record 150,000 tonnes.
Turkey remained highly dependent on soyabean imports to meet its consumption needs, which were forecast to total 3.2M tonnes in 2024/25, the USDA report said.
The recent surge in sunflower oil imports was expected to continue in the upcoming marketing year, with most of this imported oil refined and re-exported to neighbouring markets.
