Turkey's pasta export targets 1.5 million tons

Turkish Pasta Industrialists Association (TMSD) President M. Aykut Göymen stated that pasta is exported from Turkey to 166 countries and that the Southeast, where 58 percent of the production is carried out, receives a 65-70 percent share of the export. Emphasizing that Turkey ranks second in world pasta production, Göymen said, "We have a total production capacity of 3 million tons. We exported 1 million 300 thousand tons last year. We closed last year with 2 million tons of production with 700 thousand tons of domestic consumption." Stating that pasta exports started in the 1990s and that small amounts of 15 and 20 tons were exported annually at that time, Göymen said: "We reached 1 million 300 thousand tons of exports from those figures. Our target this year is 1.5 million tons. We exported 985 thousand tons in the first 8 months. Hopefully, we will complete 1.5 million tons this year. Turkey is the gene center of durum wheat. There are 25 pasta producers in our country. These ...