Miller Magazine Issue: 141 September 2021

70 INTERVIEW MILLER / september 2021 In Turkey, which has been the world flour export champi- on for the last 7 years, wheat yield is expected to decline due to high temperatures and drought. In its latest report, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicted Tur- key's wheat production this season as 16.5 million tons. USDA's import estimation is about 11.5 million tons. This fig- ure means a new record for Turkey. The decrease in the forecasts for the wheat production and global stocks of Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, also increased the wheat prices in the global stock markets. These developments challenge the Turkish flour indus- trialists, who do not want to lose their export markets, in terms of raw materials. Stakeholders of the sector are dis- cussing the effects of drought and the risks to flour export. We interviewed with Mr. Avşin Kaşıkcı, CEO and General Manager of Kavukçu Group, a successful name of Turk- ish flour industry, about the dangers waiting for the sector, possible steps towards a solution, and the future of world flour trade. Mr. Kaşıkçı thinks that both Turkey's flour export and world flour trade will decrease in the coming years. He bases this prediction on both the decrease in flour con- sumption per capita and the investment of most countries in their own milling industry. Answering our questions about the Turkish milling in- dustry and the future of world flour trade, Avşin Kaşıkçı's comments are as follows: Mr. Kaşıkçı, you are successfully managing the Ka- vukçu Group, one of Turkey's leading wheat flour and pasta producers. Kavukçu has been supplying flour since 1920. Could you give us brief information about this deep-rooted past of the group? The Kavukçu family has been engaged in flour produc- tion since the 1920s. We are currently continuing our pro- duction in our three facilities. Two of our mills are in Çorum and one is in Lüleburgaz. We also have a pasta factory in Çorum. Our total daily crushing capacity has reached 2,300 tons with the last capacity increase completed last year. From Doğubeyazıt to İzmir and from Alanya to Sin- op, we bring our products together with our customers in almost every part of our country. Likewise, we are one of “Many countries are choosing to invest in their own milling industry and to reduce their flour imports. Therefore, both the decrease in wheat consumption per capita and the decrease in Turkey’s flour exports in the coming years will further increase the internal capacity pressure. As a result, many flour mills will have to cease operations.” New trend in the world: Procure the wheat and produce the flour in your own country Avşin Kaşıkçı CEO and General Manager Kavukçu Group