Turkey rapidly increases barley imports

In the 2025/26 season, Turkey’s barley harvest fell significantly to around 6.1 million tonnes, down from 7 million tonnes in the previous season. As a result, the USDA forecasts that barley imports will rise to 1.3 million tonnes, up from 0.15 million tonnes last year.

Since the start of the season, Turkey has been actively boosting its barley purchases: the country has already contracted about 0.9 million tonnes on a tender basis, with a significant share shipped from Russia. Russia remains the key supplier, accounting for over 50% of the market and outpacing Ukraine, Romania, and Germany. From the start of the season through the end of 2025, around 0.5 million tonnes of Russian barley were delivered to Turkey, compared to 0.2 million tonnes over the same period last year.

In the near term, Turkish buying activity is expected to continue, although competition from EU countries may limit the growth of Russian shipments. This season, the EU harvested a record barley crop since 2016/17 — 56 million tonnes, up 5.7 million tonnes from 2024/25.

Tags: Turkey, barley