Turkey sells two thirds of poultry exports to Iraq

Turkey’s white meat sector has undertaken a crucial role among Iraq’s poultry suppliers, with export levels increasing to $91 million in the first nine months of this year.

A recent report from the Poultry Meat Producers Association (BESD-BİR) suggests that Iraq has turned to the Turkish market to meet their poultry demand after supplies from the US and Brazil were halted in 2008.

The total export of the poultry sector reached $137 million, while the export of turkey meat neared $464,000 between January-September of this year. The report also indicates that poultry exportation was $109 million in the same period of 2009.

Seventy-five percent of Turkey’s total poultry export in the first nine months of 2010 was to Iraq, equaling $91 million. The value of unprocessed poultry exports is approximately $81 million while sausage exports to Iraq were $7 million in the same period and canned meat exports reached $1.5 million. Taking all poultry exports to Iraq into consideration, the total value neared $91 million.