The Turkish government has raised customs duties on imports of cereals to 130%. The high customs duty rate, which came into effect at the beginning of May, will apply to all countries except Bosnia and Herzegovina. The regulation, which aims to protect producers before the upcoming harvest, did not please feed industrialists.

Customs rates on cereals, which had been set to zero in order to combat rising food prices under pandemic conditions, were increased to 130% on the verge of the upcoming harvest. According to the practice, which came into effect at the beginning of May with its publication in the Official Gazette, cereals, which are the basic raw materials for feed production, started to be imported with their new customs rates. The new practice will apply to common and red wheat and durum wheat, mixed grain (mahlut), white and malt barley, corn and millet imported from all countries except Bosnia and Herzegovina. The regulation also imposed a 16.2 percent customs duty on imports of rye, white barley, oats, corn and millet from Singapore.

TURKIYEM-BIR: TARIFF DECISION SHOULD BE RECONSIDERED

The regulation, which aims to protect agricultural producers in advance of the upcoming harvest, did not satisfy feed producers. Ülkü Karakuş, President of the Turkish Feed Industrialists' Association (TÜRKİYEM-BİR), said that the high customs duty will put upward pressure on feed prices. Speaking at the 14th International Feed Congress and Exhibition (TUYEM) this year, Ülkü Karakuş said that feed producers made sacrifices in order not to increase prices despite rising raw material prices. President Karakuş said that they are in favor of decision-makers putting this issue on the table again after the presidential elections.