(ANKARA, TURKEY) – Turkey will tighten plant health checks on imports of wheat from Ukraine starting 4 August 2026. The new rules also apply to exports, reexports and transit of plants and plant products.
The change follows the adoption of a new Plant Quarantine Regulation by Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The new regulation replaces the previous quarantine ordinance.
Ukraine’s State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection said Turkish authorities have increased controls to detect several harmful organisms in wheat shipments. The organisms of concern are Tilletia barclayana, Tilletia indica, Tilletia caries, Tilletia controversa and Tilletia laevis, also known as Tilletia foetida. Wheat imported into Turkey is considered a host plant for these pests.
If laboratory tests find any of these organisms, Ukrainian exporters will not receive a phytosanitary certificate. The affected shipment will not be allowed to enter Turkish territory.
Ukraine exported more than 37.46 million tonnes of grains and pulses in the 2025/2026 marketing year as of 1 July. Wheat forms a significant part of those volumes. Turkey is a major buyer of Ukrainian grain. At current market prices, a tonne of milling wheat trades around 220 US dollars, equivalent to about 175 British pounds or 200 euros.