Quality & Quantity 38: 319–329, 2004. © 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. 319 Quality Level and Price in Turkish Durum Wheat Market Research Note HALIL F ˙ IDAN University of Ankara, Agricultural Faculty, Department of Agricultural Economics 06110 Di¸ skapı/Ankara, E-mail: fidan@agri.ankara.edu.tr Abstract. This study has been made to assess the influences and effects of durum wheat quality characteristics on the prices in Turkish durum wheat market. The current prices are determined as the result of the applied analysis, in respect to the quality characteristics of durum wheat. The Turkish durum wheat varieties are compared with the wheat varieties of other countries, from where Turkey is importing durum wheat in respect to the quality characteristics. It has been assessed that hectoliter and glassware are the major factors that have the greatest effect and influence on Turkish durum wheat market in respect to the quality aspects. Key words: Durum wheat, characteristics, quality, TMO, Turkey, wholesale markets 1. Introduction The quality of durum wheat is an important factor for the macaroni sector that creates demands for it. The macaroni manufacturers of the industry are requesting high quality raw material in order to produce better quality macaroni products. Especially, the Turkish durum wheat has the defect of conversion (loosing it’s glassware) as a general characteristic. The occurrence of this situation causes the insufficient supply in meeting the domestic demand in the Turkish durum wheat market and required durum wheat for Turkey is procured from the foreign markets. Turkey has decided on the importation of durum wheat from Canada and USA and bought durum wheat from these countries; since Turkey could not produce high quality durum wheat for macaroni industry, especially during the 1990’s. Thus the foreign durum wheat has also entered into the Turkish market. The durum wheat varieties, known as French durum wheat and Italian durum in Turkey, have also imported into Turkey in small amounts from the said countries. These importations are gaining more importance; especially in the periods when the conversion prob- lem of Turkish durum wheat product occurs and a high quality product could not been produced. Mostly the amber variety of durum wheat was imported from USA and Canada in accordance with the concluded agreements with these countries, in the years of the above mentioned poor product quality. The Turkish industries do not prefer the