World Grain - August 2016 - 34

REGIONAL REVIEW

middle east

FACING HUGE CHALLENGES
T

he Middle East (made up of Near East Asia and North
Africa countries) is a region of huge disparities, with some
of the richest countries in the world and some of the most
troubled. There are grain producing areas, but with water scarce
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has caused disruption and big moves in population, adding to the
demands on the region's grains supply sector.
The International Grains Council (IGC) projects total grains
production in 2016-17 in Near East Asia at 64.7 million
tonnes, with Iran at 20.4 million, Iraq at 4.8 million, Syria at
1.4 million and Turkey at 34.9 million. It puts others at 3.4
million to make up the total. The IGC total does not include
Egypt, the North African country is projecting a total grains
crop of 15.6 million tonnes.
Syria's grains production is sharply down from the level of
2013-14 when the annual total was 5 million tonnes.
The Near East Asia total includes 41.8 million tonnes
of wheat, with 14.5 million in Iran, 3.8 million in Iraq, 2.4
million in Syria and 21 million in Turkey, while Egypt's wheat
production is put at 8.6 million tonnes.
The Near East Asia total for maize production is 9.3 million
tonnes, 6.2 million in Turkey and 3.1 million in others. Egypt's
maize production is 6 million tonnes.
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million tonnes, including 3.3 million in Iran, 1.1 million in Iraq,
800,000 in Syria, 7 million in Turkey and 100,000 in others.
The region is a big importer. The IGC puts total grains imports
by Near East Asia at 51.4 million tonnes. Saudi Arabia's imports
are put at 15.3 million tonnes, with Iran's at 9.2 million tonnes
and Turkey's at 6.7 million tonnes. Iraq is projected to import
2.7 million tonnes, Israel 3 million, Jordan 2.6 million, Lebanon
1.5 million, UAE 2.5 million and Yemen at 3.7 million. Egypt's
total grains imports are forecast at 19.8 million tonnes.
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million tonnes abroad in 2016-17, according to the IGC's
forecasts. Of the total, 4.9 million tonnes is wheat.
The imports include 24.4 million tonnes of wheat for Near
East Asia and 11.5 million for Egypt. Turkey's wheat imports are
4.9 million tonnes, with Iraq and Iran both importing 2.5 million
tonnes of wheat. Yemen imports 3.1 million tonnes of wheat.
Near East Asia maize imports total 14.4 million tonnes with
5.5 million going to Iran and 3.1 million to Saudi Arabia.
Egypt's maize imports are put at 8.3 million tonnes.
34

by Chris Lyddon

Water-scarce, war-torn region
depends heavily on grain imports to
feed its population

In a Grain Markets and Trade report in June, the USDA
highlighted growing imports into the region. "Imports of feed
grains (corn and barley) into the Middle East and North Africa
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August 2016 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com
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World Grain - August 2016

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