Potential for Russian lentil exports to Turkey by 2030 put at $150 mln - Agroexport
MOSCOW. April 15 (Interfax) - Russia has the potential to increase dried lentil exports to Turkey to $150 million by 2030, the Agroexport Center estimated in a report.
Russia's main competitors on the Turkish lentil market are Canada, Kazakhstan and Australia.
Russian lentil exports to Turkey fell to $76.1 million in 2024 from $100.6 million in 2023, with exports by volume dropping to 95,300 tonnes from 131,600 tonnes, the report said. Russia accounted for 14.7% of Turkish lentil imports by volume in 2024.
Despite the drop in exports, Russia was still the third largest lentil exporter to Turkey. Canada ranked first with 322,300 tonnes or 49.8% of Turkish imports, although its exports fell 39.2%. Kazakhstan ranked second with a 28% share, as it increased lentil exports to Turkey by 50% to 180,900 tonnes.
By value, Canada also ranked first with $249.8 million or a 54.3% share, Kazakhstan was second with $99.6 million or 21.7% and Russia was third with $76.1 million or 16.5%.
Turkey imported 646,500 tonnes of lentils worth $459.8 million in 2024, down from 860,500 tonnes worth $613.5 million in 2023, the report said. Red lentils made up 84.4% or 545,800 tonnes of these imports by volume in 2024 and 76.1% or $349.8 million by value, and green lentils accounted for 15.3% and 23.5%, respectively.
Russia could increase lentil exports severalfold if it ramps up production and significantly improves the quality of its lentils, the report cites the head of Russian Pulses Analytics, Sergei Pluzhnikov as saying. This is because "Turkey is willing to pay for quality and expand the pool of its suppliers in the event of a shortage," he said, adding that the country sometimes even imports from Australia.
The report also said that trade in agricultural products between Russia and Turkey shrank by 25.9% to about $5.3 billion in 2024, as Russian exports to Turkey fell 34.8% to $3.4 billion while imports from Turkey slipped 1.8% to $1.9 billion.