Turkey may stop importing Russian wheat
A record wheat harvest in Turkey will mitigate the impact on the country’s market of the restrictions imposed by Russia on shipping through the Sea of Azov, as Turkey will be able to do without Russian grain supplies. Turkish market participants estimate the country’s wheat harvest in 2026 at 25 million metric tons, which significantly exceeds the USDA’s current forecast of 22.5 million metric tons.
Some market operators even suggest that with such a harvest, Turkey could become a net exporter of wheat. At the same time, wheat imports for the 2026/27 season are projected at only about 3 million metric tons, while the USDA estimates them at 5.5 million metric tons.
Against this backdrop, Turkish grain importers are largely unconcerned about Russia’s temporary restrictions on shipping through the Sea of Azov, as noted by analysts at ASAP Agri. Earlier, Russia temporarily suspended shipping through the Don-Azov Canal—the waterway connecting the Don River to the Sea of Azov. The coast of the Kerch Strait is also home to Russia’s second-largest Black Sea port, and the country’s largest grain-producing regions—the Rostov Oblast and the Krasnodar Krai—are located along the Sea of Azov.
This route is of particular importance for the transport of grain from Russia by barges to ports in Turkey’s Marmara Sea region. However, the expected reduction in Turkey’s demand for grain imports is likely to lessen the impact of potential logistical disruptions on the local market.
This is reported by Latifundist.com.
Ukrainian attacks on the Russian Navy have affected global grain prices.
The Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan has drafted an order to impose a partial ban on wheat imports into the country for a period of six months. The restrictions will also apply to countries that are members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), including Russia.
