Istanbul - the city where you want to come back

Istanbul is the largest city of Turkey and one of the largest cities of all over the world, and also the large industrial, trade and cultural center, and in the current year Istanbul neighborly met the participants of the International Conference "Oilseeds & Oils - 2010". It has become the tradition to handle the autumn event devoted to the oilseed issues in the city on the Bosphorus. The weather advanced the good mood and work attitude of the conference participants. Besides, the fairy-tale apartments of the Swissotel the Bosphorus, where the conference was held, disposed to the conversation of the largest tycoons of the world oilseed market.

If we talk about the sponsorship of the stated event, the long-term partner of APK-Inform Agency, Asos Grain S.A. company provided the support again by becoming the general sponsor of "Oilseeds & Oils - 2010". Besides, we should note the companies Kernel Trade (exclusive sponsor), Ayhan Sezer (sponsor) and Arvi Group (sponsor). The key industrial associations of the Black Sea region also paid the essential attention to the Conference work. Among of them it is possible to distinguish the following organizations: Ukroliyaprom, the constant partner of APK-Inform Agency, BYSD (Turkish Association of the oils and fat producers). Also the support was lent by the Union of vegetable oils producers of Russia and MUMSAD (the Association of the culinary products and margarines of Turkey).

As about the participants, the major part of the companies was from Turkey, and it is no wonder, taking into account the place of the event handling. The Ukrainian companies also showed the high interest in the Conference, understanding that according to the conditions of the current season it is all in their hands, which is not possible to say about the Russian party. Though, we should note that even despite the hard marketing year, both the last and the current one, representatives of the Russian trade companies found the time and possibilities to come to Istanbul, where they discussed all prospects of their further activity.

The direct contact of the buyers and suppliers always was, and it is still the integral part of the Conference, which is the unique possibility to meet personally the future and current business partners. On its turn the session part of the conference also plays very important role, because the participants get more detailed information about the current situation on the market, the season development prospects, they can ask the required questions, they are interested in.

This time the conference was opened by the presentation of Siegfried Falk, the representative of the German Analytical Agency ISTA Mielke, which was highly estimated by the listeners. During the presentation about the World market of oilseeds and vegetable oils, the export noted that it is possible to mark the sowing areas competition increase between grains and oilseeds crops as the main motivation of the process. Besides, in 2010/11 MY the dependence on soybean supplies will increase on the world market, taking into account the crop production prospects in the South America. While talking about the season price prospects development, Siegfried Falk noted that his words have the point only during the nearest two weeks due to the fact that the market is in the situation, when changes happen not just every day but every minute. At the same time, according to David Jackson, the expert of the LMC International, to date vegetable oils consumption increase outdistances meals consumption owing to biodiesel production. According to forecasts of the company, by 2025 vegetable oils demand for food and non-food purposes will increase by 108 mln tonnes.

Among of the interesting presentation and those, which caused the impassioned discussions, we would like to mark the presentation of Sergey Makeev, the representative of the company Sunny foods Holding, on the issue Russia as an exporter and consumer of vegetable oils. According to him, the situation on the market is rather hard - from the beginning of September sunflower prices reached its top as opposed to November-December of the last year. To date, sunflower cost on the domestic market of Russia essentially exceeds the export prices level, which is the reason of changes occurrence in the consumer demand structure. The large-scale holdings are the main buyers of sunflower, due to the fact that the current price level is not in balance with the cost of crude sunflower oil. Forecasts of analysts of the company caused the controversies between the listeners, which made the presentation rather interesting and convincing.

While talking about the presentationsof other speakers of the conference, every one was extensive and meaningful in own way. All reported issues were rather interesting for the participants and caused the impassioned discussions. After all I would like to say thank to all event participants for being able to choose time and nevertheless despite all barriers, which appeared during the last time, to come to the wonderful city located on the two parts of the world - the ancient Byzantium - Constantinople - Istanbul. The city, where I am sure, they will want to come back one more time!

Irina Ozip,
Head of Foreign Markets Department of
APK-Inform Agency