As Türkiye wraps up one of its most bountiful harvest seasons in history, the Turkish Grain Board (TMO) has officially reopened exports of milling wheat and broken wheat, which had been suspended since March 2025. While welcomed by farmers and traders, this step aimed at easing TMO’s stock and financial burden has turned all eyes toward the animal feed industry. Struggling with soaring raw material costs driven by the Black Sea crisis, feed millers emphasize that true relief in domestic bran supply would come from easing quotas and regulatory restrictions on flour exports.
At a time when climate change and severe drought are hitting European agriculture, Türkiye is experiencing the exact opposite: one of its strongest harvest periods on record. Abundant rainfall has led to overflowing domestic stocks and record grain production, enabling TMO to open a new chapter in its trade policy. In an official statement published on its website, TMO highlighted that domestic supply security has reached a comfortable level considering national production, stock levels, and domestic consumption requirements. Accordingly, exports of milling wheat and broken wheat, suspended since March 2025 to safeguard domestic supply, were re-authorized effective July 29, 2026.
The decision does not imply unrestricted exports. Transactions will be conducted through a "controlled and balanced" mechanism: applications submitted via the Central Anatolian Exporters' Association (OAİB) will be evaluated and approved by TMO based on domestic market conditions.
HOW WILL THE EXPORT DECISION IMPACT THE DOMESTIC MARKET?
The reopening of wheat export channels was met with relief among farmers and grain traders. Having been restricted to selling exclusively on the domestic market for 16 months, market players have now regained room to maneuver, albeit under regulatory oversight. Easing domestic supply pressure amid a record harvest and allowing grain to fetch its true value in global markets will support price stability in favor of producers. How the outward flow of raw milling wheat will affect domestic wheat bran, broken wheat supply, and ultimately compound feed prices will become clearer in the coming days.
THE FEED SECTOR’S DIFFERENT TAKE ON BY-PRODUCTS
The export green light announced by TMO fell short of meeting the expectations of the livestock and feed industries, which rely heavily on wheat processing by-products. Pointing to rapidly escalating prices for bran and feed ingredients due to the Black Sea crisis and port bottlenecks, feed sector representatives underscore the strategic importance of domestic flour milling operations.
M. Ülkü Karakuş, President of the Turkish Feed Manufacturers' Association (TÜRKİYEM-BİR)
M. Ülkü Karakuş, President of the Turkish Feed Manufacturers' Association (TÜRKİYEM-BİR), recently voiced the sector's expectation for policy support toward lifting export quotas and restrictions imposed on high-value-added flour and processed grain products rather than raw grain shipments. Reminding that the flour milling industry yields more than 30% of every kilogram of processed wheat as bran, wheat germ, and broken grains for the feed sector, Karakuş noted that easing constraints on flour exports would generate hundreds of thousands of tons of additional wheat bran for the domestic market, directly reducing feed costs.
EXPECTATIONS AND POTENTIAL OUTCOMES FROM REOPENING WHEAT EXPORTS
- Eased Financial and Storage Burden for TMO: In a season where high interest rates have made the private sector hesitant to carry inventory, TMO has absorbed the bulk of commercial purchases. Opening export channels will help the State Board balance its massive stock load and financial pressure.
- Price Support for Farmers: The mechanism will prevent excess domestic supply from driving prices down to unviable levels, preserving the market value of the crop.
- Stronger Global Market Presence: As European nations contend with reduced crop yields this season, Türkiye reinforces its position as a major regional grain supply hub.