Turkey set to be world39;s No.2 durum exporter in 202324
Fills supply gap left by droughthit top exporter Canada
Turkey has exported 1.5 million metric tons so far in 202324
Brings some relief to pricepressured pasta makers

ISTANBULPARIS, March 28 Reuters Turkey39;s spectacular breakthrough as an exporter of durum wheat has spared pasta fans another year of price pain and the country is poised to remain a crucial source of the ingredient prized in Mediterranean cuisine.

On track to be the world39;s secondlargest durum exporter in 202324, Turkey has helped fill a supply gap caused by a second drought in three years in top supplier Canada and stifled a price surge seen at the season39;s start.

Global stocks of durum are still forecast to hit a threedecade low this season, according to the International Grains Council, an intergovernmental body. But Turkish shipments have averted an immediate shortfall and kept durum in line with easing world prices of staple grains.

Previously a net importer of the hard wheat whose milled flour is used to make pasta, couscous and certain types of bread in the Mediterranean region, Turkey has taken the market by surprise by exporting around 1.5 million metric tons of durum so far in the 202324 season ending in June.

Turkey, by entering global markets as an exporter, changed the game, Aykut Goymen, chairman of Turkey39;s pasta industry association, said.

I can say that it was not a oneoff thing and it is sustainable for Turkey to…