Escalating attacks on commercial vessels and ports in the Black Sea have brought grain trade to a standstill, hitting Turkish feed millers who rely on Russia and Ukraine for 72% of their raw materials. Emphasizing that the crisis stems from logistics rather than global supply shortages, TÜRKİYEM-BİR Chairman M. Ülkü Karakuş called for urgent diplomatic efforts to establish a second grain corridor.

Commercial vessel traffic across the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait has faced severe restrictions following intensified regional conflict, escalating war risk insurance premiums and freight costs. Türkiye relies heavily on Russian and Ukrainian origins—including 98% of its imported wheat, 97% of sunflower meal, and 86% of corn. Despite strong domestic harvest forecasts, the inability of loaded vessels to depart Black Sea ports reversed previous feed price cuts, returning market quotes to May levels and pressuring livestock and poultry production costs.

CALL FOR DIPLOMATIC CORRIDOR AND EXPORT FLEXIBILITY

In a recent statement to Dünya, Karakuş emphasized that global availability is not the issue and urged high-level diplomatic initiatives to secure vessel transit. "There is no supply crisis; the problem is that cargo cannot leave the ports," Karakuş stated, calling on Türkiye to lead a second grain corridor initiative. To maximize the value of the domestic crop—expected to reach 41.6 million tonnes—he also advocated lifting export restrictions on flour, feed, pasta, and poultry products to protect Türkiye's established international market share.