TÜRKİYEM-BİR President Ülkü Karakuş announced that thanks to their mega-partnership with IDMA and IAOM MEA, they will be bringing Turkish feed technology to South Africa. With the 36. IAOM MEA Conference & Expo taking place on November 23–26, 2026, as the first concrete milestone of this collaboration, Cape Town is set to become the industry’s strategic African route.
President Ülkü Karakuş
Today, the global animal production industry is turning a critical corner, where optimizing input costs, ration precision, and Industry 4.0-based digital transformation in manufacturing facilities have become imperative. While technological innovations ranging from energy efficiency to AI-driven analysis determine competitiveness, geopolitical disruptions in the global supply chain and fluctuations in raw material prices force feed manufacturers to seek new strategic corridors. Ülkü Karakuş, President of TÜRKİYEM-BİR (Turkish Feed Industrialists’ Association), the umbrella organization of Turkey’s compound feed sector, analyzes all the burning issues of the industry, from TMO’s new grain procurement policies to the global impacts of the Strait of Hormuz crisis on fertilizer and raw material costs. Speaking exclusively to our media group, Karakuş evaluates the Cape Town move, the first strategic target of the massive consortium established between IDMA, TÜRKİYEM-BİR, and IAOM MEA, and the new vision of Turkish feed technology in the African market for Feed Planet readers.
With favorable rainfall, this season is described as a year of abundance. What are the repercussions and cost projections in the feed industry regarding the new grain purchase and sale prices set by TMO?
Barley, wheat, and corn are the primary raw materials for compound feed, which accounts for approximately two-thirds of animal production costs. TMO’s 2026 purchase prices, including premiums, reach 15,764 TRY/ton for barley and 19,514 TRY/ton for wheat; these figures are roughly 36% above international CIF prices for barley and 59% for wheat. On the other hand, the selling prices announced by TMO, which remain below their actual cost and will take effect on October 1, 2026 (barley at 14,000 TRY/ton, milling wheat at 18,500 TRY/ton), provide much-needed market predictability for our manufacturers. The yield increases this year will facilitate access to raw materials, reduce import dependency, and alleviate pressure on foreign exchange. We fully support this balanced approach that protects the interests of producers, industrialists, and consumers alike.
How do you evaluate the latest situation regarding geopolitical crises, such as the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, from an industry perspective?
The ongoing war in Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East continue to put immense pressure on already fragile food and feed supply chains, directly disrupting Black Sea grain and oilseed flows. The Strait of Hormuz crisis that escalated on February 28, 2026, is particularly critical as approximately one-third of the global urea trade passes through this strait. Consequently, urea prices have surged by about 36% compared to pre-crisis levels, and according to the FAO, 3 to 4 million tons of fertilizer trade per month has ground to a halt. This situation threatens crop yields, planting preferences, and raw material costs for the upcoming seasons. Although Türkiye’s increased production of wheat, barley, and sunflower seeds acts as a vital buffer, our structural dependence on imports for corn, soybeans, and their derivatives leaves us vulnerable to these adverse global developments. However, we firmly believe that we can overcome these challenges through close public-private sector cooperation, just as we have done in previous years.
Cost control has become a critical threshold in feed production. How do you evaluate the technological transformation of feed mills, particularly focusing on automation, Industry 4.0, and energy efficiency?
In an industry where feed represents about two-thirds of animal production costs, technological transformation has become mandatory in a highly competitive market. In our modern mills, dosing, grinding, mixing, and pelleting processes are seamlessly managed through automation and integrated digital quality control systems. Advanced formulation software and real-time laboratory analyses shape production precisely according to the animals’ exact nutritional needs. We have made significant strides in maximizing feed conversion rates through optimum particle sizing and homogenous blending, reducing shrink with new storage technologies, and boosting efficiency, energy savings, and feed hygiene through advanced pelleting technologies. Energy efficiency, digital quality control solutions, and continuous R&D are the twin keys to both cost control and sustainable, competitive manufacturing. Thanks to sensor technologies, real-time data tracking, and AI-driven analytics, production processes are now managed far more efficiently than in the past.
IDMA 2026 brought global feed and milling technologies together in Istanbul. What is the contribution of this international platform to Turkish feed manufacturers and global industrial synergy?
For the Turkish feed industry, IDMA 2026 is far more than just an exhibition where new machinery is displayed; it serves as a cornerstone platform for knowledge, trade, and strategic collaboration that will shape the future of the sector. By bringing together all stakeholders from the feed, grain, and milling technology sectors under one roof in Istanbul, this international event generates massive commercial synergy.
The fact that the IDMA Global Grain & Milling Forum is being held concurrently with the exhibition adds a distinctive value to the event. Within the scope of the Forum, critical topics directly concerning our industry, such as global grain trade dynamics, food security, sustainable production, the impacts of climate change, Industry 4.0 applications, automation, and next-generation feed technologies, are thoroughly addressed. This ensures that our sector representatives not only explore new technologies but also gain the opportunity to analyze global trends and market dynamics that will guide their future investment decisions.
What are the primary objectives of the Grain and Feed Congress to be held in Cape Town, South Africa this November by the tripartite alliance of TÜRKİYEM-BİR, IDMA, and IAOM-MEA, which was announced at TUYEM16?
The first concrete outcome of the IDMA–IAOM MEA–TÜRKİYEMBİR alliance we announced at TUYEM16 is the 36. IAOM MEA Conference & Expo, to be held in Cape Town on November 23–26, 2026. Our objective is to unite our collective milling, feed, and grain technology expertise, international trade networks, and institutional representation under a single umbrella. With its rapidly growing population, expanding urbanization, and rising protein consumption, Africa stands out as one of the most vital production and consumption hubs of the future. Driven by technology transfer, investment, food security, and strategic trade corridors, we aim to fortify the Türkiye-Africa economic partnership and establish a far more sustainable and resilient sectoral ecosystem.