Turkey-Russia fertilizer supply agreement

Turkey and Russia have moved to stabilize Turkey’s agricultural supply chain through a bilateral agreement regarding fertilizer and raw materials. Following diplomatic discussions between President Erdoğan and President Putin, the two nations prepared a memorandum of understanding to address Turkey’s reliance on imported ammonia, phosphoric acid, and phosphate rock.

On September 8, 2026, a “Mineral Fertilizer Shipment Memorandum of Understanding” was signed in Moscow. Under this agreement, Russia will exempt Turkey from the export quotas and restrictions on nitrogenous and phosphorous fertilizers, as well as ammonia, that have been applied globally since March. This arrangement is intended to cover Turkey’s annual deficit of 2.5 to 3 million tons of urea, ammonia, and sulfur, serving as a critical alternative to sourcing from Gulf nations disrupted by security risks in the Strait of Hormuz.

On September 27, 2026, Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı intensified agricultural diplomacy to mitigate geopolitical risks stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war and Middle East tensions. This resulted in a consensus with Russia to ensure no restrictions on fertilizer shipments to Turkey for the remainder of the year. Bilateral discussions also addressed resolving issues regarding tomato exports and improving coordination between plant health and quarantine teams.

Separately, Turkey is expanding agricultural trade with China, focusing on poultry, seafood, almonds, and bay leaves, while engaging Uzbekistan in discussions regarding the flour and grain trade. Domestically, Turkey expects record grain production due to favorable rainfall, with the Turkish Grain Board (TMO) purchasing 12.3 million tons of grain to bolster national stocks.