<article><p class="lead">Turkey's wheat imports from Ukraine last year rose to a record high, as high export taxes imposed on Russian wheat shipments and macroeconomic woes pushed the country to seek alternatives. </p><p>Receipts of Ukrainian soft wheat by Turkey totalled 1.41mn t in 2021, up from 1.05mn t a year earlier and 1.06mn t in 2019, Turkish statistical institute Tuik data show. This was despite the country's overall wheat imports falling to 7.82mn t from 8.58mn t a year earlier. </p><p>Ukraine remained the second-largest wheat supplier to Turkey after Russia, but the spread between volumes from both origins fell to a new low, with Russian wheat imports hitting a three-year low of 5.63mn t <i>(see chart)</i>. </p><p>In contrast, arrivals from Ukraine have been robust since the start of the 2021-22 marketing year last July to hit 1.24mn t in July-December, up from just 568,000t a year earlier. Russian wheat imports fell to 3.17mn t at the same time from 3.87mn t in July-December 2020.</p><p>Turkey has stepped up imports from Ukraine as the Russian government's tax on wheat exports has weighed on the origin's competitiveness with other producers. This coincided with a bumper wheat harvest in Ukraine this marketing season, which has boosted the country's exports of crop to all destinations. </p><p>Turkey's wheat imports have also <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2288092">shifted patterns</a> as the lira plunged to record lows against international currencies. The weaker lira has made the buyer more price-sensitive, despite its historic preference for Russian origin 12.5pc protein content wheat. In November, Turkey was heard to <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2278922">purchase</a> Argentinian wheat — a first since at least the 2011-12 marketing year.</p><p>Turkey also turned to alternative origins in the Black Sea region, with imports from Moldova reaching a record 428,000t in July-December last year — 446,000t for the whole calendar year — from 0t at the same time in 2020. </p><p>Turkey this marketing season is expected to import 11mn t of wheat under US Department of Agriculture estimates, up from 8.08mn t a year earlier, as drought conditions last year weighed on its domestic output of crop. </p><p class="bylines"><i>By Bilal Muftuoglu</i></p><p><div class="picture"><div><span class="pic_title">Turkey's wheat imports from Ukraine and Russia</span> <span class="units">mn t</span></div><img src="https://argus-public-assets-us.s3.amazonaws.com/2022/02/01/turkey'swheatimportsfromukraineandrussia01022022020645.jpg"></div></p></article>
