In his speech at the opening of the IDMA 2026 Fair, held at the Istanbul Fair Center from June 25–27, 2026, Chairman Zeki Demirtaşoğlu highlighted Turkey’s global strength in grain, oilseed, and pulse processing and storage technologies, the sector’s export success, and its priorities for the future.
Noting that IDMA 2026 was more than just the opening of a trade fair, Demirtaşoğlu stated that the event was a significant gathering representing Turkey’s production capacity, engineering capabilities, technological expertise, and vision for the world.
Emphasizing that Turkey is one of the world’s leading countries in grain, oilseed, and pulse processing and storage technologies, Demirtaşoğlu noted that the sector exports to more than 180 countries. Noting that the sector’s exports stood at $3.6 billion in 2024 and reached $4.28 billion in 2025—an 18 percent increase in dollar terms—Demirtaşoğlu said that with an export value of $14–16 per kilogram, the sector is one of the key areas of Turkish industry not only in terms of export volume but also due to its high added value.
Pointing out that DESMÜD members export 95 to 98 percent of their production to various countries around the world, Demirtaşoğlu noted that this ratio represents a remarkable achievement, especially for sectors that export nearly all of their production from Turkey. Emphasizing that this success is not limited to export figures alone, Demirtaşoğlu stated that the world’s confidence in Turkish manufacturing capabilities, Turkish engineering, Turkish technology, and Turkish industrialists plays a significant role in this success.
Noting that Turkish engineering has left its mark on flour mills, feed plants, storage facilities, and pulse processing centers in many parts of the world, Demirtaşoğlu said that the sector’s success was no coincidence; rather, it was the result of the hard work of Turkish industrialists who have been investing in production, engineering, technology, quality, and international competitiveness for years.
DESMÜD Continues to Be the Collective Voice of the Sector
Zeki Demirtaşoğlu noted that DESMÜD was founded to serve as the collective voice of the robust milling machinery sector, adding that the association has reached its ninth year thanks to the support of its members.
Demirtaşoğlu emphasized that they have always considered it important to support organizations that contribute to the sector’s international promotion, noting that the IDMA Fair, organized in this vein, has further advanced Turkey’s leading position in grain processing and storage technologies.
Demirtaşoğlu noted that behind the machines, technologies, and projects exhibited at the fair lies the expertise, hard work, and vision of DESMÜD member companies that successfully represent Turkish engineering around the world. He emphasized that the strength demonstrated at the fair is not merely that of a single event, but the collective strength of the Turkish grain processing and storage technology sector.
Investments in Education for the Future Workforce
In his speech, Demirtaşoğlu also touched on DESMÜD’s future-oriented projects, noting that the association is working toward its goal of establishing one of the world’s largest milling schools in a 6,000-square-meter enclosed area.
The goal is for this center to be not merely a manufacturer of machinery, but a global hub that trains human resources for the sector, generates knowledge, and shapes the future of milling technologies. Demirtaşoğlu emphasized that, as a country that produces milling technologies, Turkey must also cultivate the human resources needed to shape these technologies through its own educational institutions and applied training centers.
Five Key Expectations for the Future of the Industry
Zeki Demirtaşoğlu also shared five key expectations he has of public institutions to ensure that Turkey maintains its leadership in exports and its global competitiveness in the milling machinery sector.
In his speech, Demirtaşoğlu emphasized the need to strengthen vocational training models aimed at developing skilled mid-level workers. He called for the pilot implementation of the Vocational Training Project in Milling Cooperation (DİMEP)—which, with the support of the Ministry of National Education, is based on a training model where students spend four days a week at the workplace and one day at school—in Konya, Gaziantep, and Çorum. He noted that young people trained within the production environment would form the skilled workforce the sector needs.
Pointing out that although Turkey is one of the world’s leading countries in milling and grain processing technologies, there is no specialized four-year undergraduate program in this field, Demirtaşoğlu stated that they want a bachelor’s program in “Milling Science and Technologies” to be established at a university—primarily at METU, Hacettepe University, or Ankara University—under the leadership of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK).
Demirtaşoğlu noted that, in order for Turkish milling machinery manufacturers to compete more effectively in global markets, Eximbank must provide the sector with lower-cost, long-term, and competitive foreign currency loans, emphasizing that access to financing is crucial for the sustainability of the sector’s export capacity.
Demirtaşoğlu also voiced the expectation that Turkish Airlines would create special and advantageous flight fares for exporters to facilitate their access to world markets—exporters who bring billions of dollars in foreign exchange to Turkey—and noted that reducing all obstacles facing exporters would further enhance Turkey’s strength in global trade.
Demirtaşoğlu also highlighted the importance of support from the Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Ministry of National Education in the process of establishing the world’s largest applied milling and grain processing training center, planned for Ankara. He stated that this project would transform Turkey into a global hub not only for the production of technology but also for the cultivation of knowledge and skilled human resources.
At the conclusion of his speech, Zeki Demirtaşoğlu thanked the HAGE Fuarcılık team for their efforts in organizing IDMA 2026 , Zeki Demirtaşoğlu thanked the HAGE Fuarcılık team for their efforts in organizing the event, as well as the supporting institutions, participating companies, and visitors from various regions of Turkey and around the world. He conveyed the message that the Turkish milling machinery and grain processing technologies sector will further advance its global leadership through strong collaboration, production capacity, and future-oriented investments.
