24–25 September 2024 · Istanbul, Türkiye
Photo report of the Istanbul edition that set the working format for bbs grain 2025 and 2026: hall sessions, one-to-one talks, and a gala on the Bosphorus.
On 24–25 September 2024 Istanbul hosted Balkans & Black Sea Grain 2024 — an international conference on grain trade and agrologistics. It brought together market participants from the Black Sea region, Europe and the Middle East on one non-political floor.
Talks focused on cereal, oilseed and vegetable-oil exports from the Black Sea and the Balkans, and on how those origins compete on the global agricultural market. Logistics infrastructure, seaborne freight, cargo insurance and efficient export chains sat next to demand from Africa and the Middle East.
Black Sea wheat stayed the benchmark in the corridors. Russia, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria together still account for a major share of world wheat exports, so freight and regional competitiveness were not side topics. Romania was discussed as one of the EU’s key grain exporters even under climate pressure: the 2024 drought made resilient supply chains and Black Sea logistics the practical question for buyers and sellers.
Egypt remained the world’s largest wheat importer; Tunisia stayed heavily dependent on imported wheat and corn, with Black Sea origins among the core sources. Türkiye, as host market, kept balancing support for local producers with food-supply and price control.
Day 1 was the conference. Day 2 was an excursion from Sofitel Istanbul. The Grain Gala Dinner ran as a Bosphorus cruise with night views of the city — the same waterway the bbs grain map still points to for 22 September 2026.
The photo series below is the visual record. For the 2025 edition see the 2025 photo report and Key Insights from Istanbul 2025. The long read across all years is the BBS Grain guide.
24 September — Day 1, the conference.
Analytical panel. State and prospects of cereals, oilseeds and vegetable-oil exports in the Black Sea and the Balkans — moderator Cezar Gheorghe (Agricolumn / Government of Romania). Speakers included Maxence Devillers (Argus Media), Sunchitsa Savovich (Serbia Grains Association), Preslav Raykov (Magic Flame Group), Stoyan Valev (Grainstore).
Logistics and infrastructure. Moderator Ismail Sahin (FICS, Turkish Shipbrokers Association). Participants: Alexander Strelnikov (Transocean Risk Solutions), Bilal Muftuoglu (Howe Robinson Partners), Reinhold Polzl (Rail Cargo Logistics), Kanat Kobessov (KazGrain).
Competition on global markets. Moderator Evgeniya Dudinova (Agthia Group). Participants: Sabina Sodikova (Agrozan Commodities), Nouran Ezzeldin (Granos Oros), Fabien Varagnac (Grains & Flours Insights), Veysel Kaya (Sunseedman).
Global pulses and Black Sea export potential. Moderator Ozan Ozturk (Agrozan Commodities). Participants: Cem Bogusoglu (Prograin), Alex Lotov (AGS Foods DMCC), Sumit Gupta (McDonald&Pelz).
19:00–22:00. Grain Gala Dinner — Bosphorus cruise.
25 September — Day 2. Buses left Sofitel Istanbul at 09:30 for a city excursion.
More than 350 delegates from agribusiness, logistics, trading, shipping and insurance, from more than 30 countries. Houses in the room included Agrozan Commodities, Agthia Group, Atameken Agro Trade, Bunge Türkiye, Rusagro, Grainstore, Magic Flame, Sunar, Tiryaki-linked traders, plus shipbrokers (SFR Shipping, Agora Shipbroking), surveyors, Rail Cargo Group, KazGrain, Serbia Grains Association and the Turkish Shipbrokers Association.
That mix — Balkan and Black Sea sellers next to MENA buyers and freight desks — is the format bbs grain keeps for 2026.
Conference floor, networking and the Bosphorus gala. Photos from the conference floor and the Bosphorus gala.
The next edition — Balkans & Black Sea Grain 2026 — is on 22 September 2026 in Istanbul.
Get your BBS Grain 2026 ticket