Seeking to diversify supply chains and reduce heavy reliance on the Black Sea region, the Turkish Feed Manufacturers' Association (TÜRKİYEMBİR) and Argentina's CIARA-CEC convened in an online bilateral meeting to enhance raw material trade. With Argentina currently accounting for just 2.8% of Türkiye's 22.3 million tonnes of feed ingredient imports, both parties highlighted the complementary nature of their counter-seasonal harvest calendars and identified emerging opportunities in sunflower meal.

The Turkish Feed Manufacturers' Association (TÜRKİYEMBİR) and CIARA-CEC, representing Argentine grain and oilseed exporters, held a joint online consultation meeting on August 13, 2026, to expand bilateral feed raw material trade. Highlighting Türkiye’s position as a major global producer with an annual compound feed output of 30.7 million tonnes, industry data revealed that Türkiye imports 22.3 million tonnes across 17 key feed ingredients, yet Argentina supplies a mere 2.8% of this volume.

While Argentina remains Türkiye's primary supplier of soybean meal, holding a 66% market share with 628,000 tonnes, mainstay commodities such as wheat, corn, bran, sunflower meal, and barley are overwhelmingly sourced from Russia and Ukraine, which control 62% to 98% of these imports. Representatives noted that Argentina’s March–July harvest season naturally complements the Black Sea’s July–September timeline rather than competing with it.

CIARA-CEC President Gustavo Idígoras presented Argentina's crushing and export standards, emphasizing that their member companies handle 95% of the country’s oilseed crushing and exports, anchored by the Rosario corridor along the Paraná River. Addressing trade hurdles, Turkish industry representatives pointed out that regulatory bottlenecks under Türkiye’s Biosafety Law, where only 36 biotech feed events are approved compared to roughly 400 globally, create low-level presence risks that limit corn imports from South America.

Gustavo Idígoras
CIARA-CEC President

TRANSIT TRADE OPPORTUNITIES TO NEIGHBORING MARKETS

High freight costs and pesticide residue compliance with EU standards were also outlined as critical factors for unlocking Argentine sunflower meal imports amid Black Sea supply disruptions. Meanwhile, Argentine soybean meal was praised for its high quality, serving not only Turkish feed mills but also re-export markets in neighboring Iraq, Iran, and Syria.

Rising geopolitical volatility and supply chain vulnerabilities in the Black Sea basin are pushing major compound feed manufacturing hubs like Türkiye to forge direct trade corridors with South American producers.