Turkey’s state grain board TMO has issued an international tender to sell and export 100,000 metric tons of durum wheat, according to European traders.
The deadline for submitting price offers in the tender is April 30. The durum wheat will be loaded between May 20 and June 12 in the Turkish ports of Mersin and Iskenderun, with consignments of about 25,000 tons to be loaded at each port.
Only non-Turkish companies will be permitted to participate in the tender, traders said.
Turkey has been making heavy sales of durum wheat in recent months, especially to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries, after a bumper crop last year. This has helped alleviate the tight supplies of durum, an important ingredient for pasta production, after drought in Canada and bad weather in Europe damaged crops in the summer of 2023, reducing supplies available to flour millers and food processors.
Importer Algeria, for example, bought durum in a tender on Wednesday, paying more than in its previous tender in March as prices remain firm, according to traders.
The sale of 100,000 tons of durum wheat by Turkey is seen as a positive development for the global durum market, as it helps to replenish supplies and meet the demand from pasta producers and other end-users.
Durum wheat is a specific type of wheat that is widely used in the production of pasta, couscous, and other semolina-based foods. The availability of durum wheat is crucial for meeting the global demand for these staple foods.