Lentils are an important legume crop for Turkey, serving as one of the key sources of carbohydrates and protein for the local population. In 2024, the area under lentil cultivation in the country amounted to 312,600 hectares, which is 3.2% lower than in 2023 and 26.2% higher than in 2020. The republic mainly grows red lentils, which accounted for 77.5% of all acreage in 2024, while the share of green lentils is significantly smaller. Red lentils in Turkey are mainly cultivated in the Southeast Anatolia region (the largest production centers are Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, and Siirt), while green lentils are cultivated in Central (Yozgat, Kırşehir) and Eastern Anatolia (Erzurum), where the natural and climatic conditions are more favorable for their cultivation.
The republic grows lentil varieties adapted for both winter and summer sowing, allowing for several harvests per year. Production is mainly carried out by small farms united in regional cooperatives that jointly sell their products on the domestic market.
Turkey is the leading producer of lentils in the Middle East and ranks among the top five global leaders in terms of gross harvests of this crop. Thanks to stable harvests, the country covers most of its domestic demand for lentils through its own production. Most of the red lentils imported by Turkey are processed and re-exported, while green lentils purchased abroad mainly remain on the domestic market and are consumed by the local population.
In 2024, dried lentil production in Turkey reached a record 476,000 tons, of which 405,000 tons were red lentils and 71,000 tons were green lentils. Between 2020 and 2024, dried lentil production increased by 28.4%, despite a decline in 2021 caused by lower yields due to unfavorable weather conditions. At the same time, a small part of the country's legume harvest is regularly lost due to non-compliance with cultivation technologies, violation of optimal harvesting times, and problems with product storage before drying — according to the Turkish Statistical Institute, annual losses of lentils amount to about 2.6%.
According to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, consumption of dried lentils per capita in the country amounted to 5.5 kg in 2022/2023, of which 4.7 kg was red lentils and 0.8 kg was green lentils. The indicator is recovering after a sharp decline in 2021/2022 caused by drought in the main production regions and the accompanying reduction in the harvest.
Red lentils account for the bulk of Turkey's dried lentil imports, accounting for 84.4% of purchases in volume terms (545.8 thousand tons) and 76.1% in value terms (US$349.8 million) in 2024. Green lentils also accounted for significant import volumes at the end of the year (15.3% and 23.5%, respectively). Imports of other lentils account for an insignificant share of the total purchases of the entire product group (0.3% and 0.4%, respectively).
The main supplier of dried lentils to Turkey is Canada, which accounted for 49.8% of Turkish imports in volume terms (322.3 thousand tons) in 2024. Kazakhstan ranks second in terms of exports of this product to the country, with a 28.0% share in the overall structure at the end of the year (180.9 thousand tons). Russia rounds out the top three suppliers, accounting for 14.7% of all supplies in 2024 (95.3 thousand tons).
In 2024, Turkey significantly increased its purchases of lentils from Ukraine — 11.2 times compared to 2023 (+8.7 thousand tons) — and Kazakhstan — by 51.6% (+61.6 thousand tons). At the same time, the country's imports of this product from Canada (-39.2% or -207.5 thousand tons), Australia (-61.6% or -44.3 thousand tons), and Russia (-27.6% or -36.4 thousand tons) decreased.
The main exporter of dried lentils to Turkey in terms of value is Canada, which supplied products worth US$249.8 million in 2024 (54.3% of Turkish imports). Kazakhstan (21.7% or US$99.6 million) and Russia (16.5% or US$76.1 million) were also among the largest exporters to the country's market at the end of the year.
In 2024, Turkey increased its purchases of dried lentils from Kazakhstan (+28.8% or +$22.3 million) and Ukraine (11.8 times or +$5.6 million). At the same time, imports of this product from Canada (-34.2% or -$130.0 million), Australia (-59.1% or -$29.9 million), and Russia (-24.3% or -$24.5 million) decreased.
In 2024, the average import price of dried lentils in Turkey remained virtually unchanged at US$711 per ton. The most expensive products were supplied from the US at a price 53.6% above the average. Iraq also exported lentils to the Turkish market at relatively high prices (24.8% above the average price in 2024). In 2024, Turkey imported the cheapest products from Syria (25.2% below the average price) and Kazakhstan (22.6% below).
The most expensive type of lentils imported into Turkey is green lentils — in 2024, the price of a ton of this product rose by 13.5% to $1,096. The lowest prices were traditionally recorded for red lentils — $641 per ton. Compared to 2023, the average import price of other lentils decreased most significantly (by 33.3%), reaching $892 per ton.
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