Miller Magazine Issue: 124 April 2020

Covid-19 effect on Turkish flour industry Consumers across the world from New York to Istanbul queued at supermarkets in March to stock up on flour and pasta. The unp- recedented increase in demand for flour and pasta comes amid wi- despread quarantines and stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus pandemic. The virus puts enormous strains on food supply chains. As demand for the staple has surged, shortages of flour have been reported in stores across the world. In many countries, the issue is not being able to mill enough flour, but rather logistics and capacity to pack enough of it into bags for supermarkets. In Turkey, the first confirmed coronavirus case was announced offici- ally on March 11. Turkish consumers flocked to markets to buy pasta, pulses, flour and bulghur, especially in the second week of March. People bought far beyond their needs and it was observed that mar- ket shelves remained empty for almost a week in the second week of March. However, sales returned to normal after one week. The mills increased their capacity to meet rising domestic flour demand after the virus outbreak. Eren Günhan Ulusoy, President of the Turkish Flour Industrialists' Fe- deration said that the demand for flour increased three times in March. He stressed that even if it takes months to control the pandemic, the flour sector in Turkey will continue production without any problems. Pasta sales also increased by 300 percent compared to the previous period. Abdulkadir Külahçıoglu, Chairman of Pasta Industrialists Asso- ciation of Turkey, said that they delayed orders from abroad for three months to meet the increasing domestic demand after the pandemic. Turkish pasta, flour and bulghur producers took a joint decision not to raise the prices for at least two months. The decision was taken at a meeting participated by pasta, flour and bulghur producers on March 31, chaired by Ahmet Güldal, General Manager of Turkish Grain Board (TMO). In addition, TMO will not increase its sales price. “We will con- tinue to meet the raw material demand of the sector at our January price. There will be no shortage of raw materials.” Mr. Güldal said. He also added that they will increase wheat allocation for the flour industry from 499 thousand tons to 660 thousand tons. And the amount of durum wheat allocation will increase to 110 thousand tons. Wheat harvest in Turkey will begin in nearly two months and Turkish officials expect some increase in wheat production compared to last year. Will the wheat stock meet the need until the harvest period? That is the most vital question… editor Namık Kemal PARLAK company/millermagazine millermagazine millermagazine Parantez Publishing and Congress Ltd. Gökevler Mah. 2312 Sok. No:16/37 Ginza Corner Plaza, Esenyurt / İstanbul - TURKEY T. +90 212 347 31 64 F. +90 212 212 02 04 www.millermagazine.com info@millermagazine.com On Behalf of Parantez Publishing and Congress Ltd., Owner Zübeyde Kavraz Responsible Manager Muhammed Akatay Editor-in-Chief Namık Kemal Parlak Editors Mustafa Yağmurlu Cemalettin Kanaş Sales and Marketing Ahmet Açıkgöz Inji Aydash Burcu Çetin Art Director and Visual Design Alparslan Murat Aysu Corporate Communication Executive Derya Gülsoy Yıldız Consultancy Board Ali İhsan Özkaşıkçı, Chairman of AUSD Mesut Çakmak, Chairman of GUSAD Erhan Özmen, GUSAD Honorary Chairman Bekir Bağış, Chairman of Çukurova Flour Industrialists Association Hasan Özmermer, Board Member of Özmermer Flour Derviş Toprak Mehmet Şerif Gültay Referee and Scientific Advisory Board Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bayram Prof. Gustavo Sosa Prof. Dr. Hazım Özkaya Asst. Prof. M. Kürşat Demir Asst. Prof. Halef Dizlek Asst. Prof. Harun Dıraman Asst. Prof. Mustafa Erbaş Publication Type Periodic (Monthly) Printing - Baskı İhlas Gazetecilik A.Ş. Merkez Mah. 29 Ekim Cad. No: 11 A 41 Yenibosna-Bahçelievler-İstanbul Tel: 0212 454 30 00 All copyrights belong to Parantez Publishing. © May not be used without permission. Responsibility of the ads belongs to the advertisers. ISSN 1309-6125 Copyright Page