Arslantürk emphasized that they are hopeful the volume of hazelnuts to be exported at the end of this period will exceed 300 thousand tons, and noted the following:

*In the 8-month period of the hazelnut export season, which started on September 1, 2022, 80 thousand 799 tons of hazelnuts worth 488 million 650 thousand 588 dollars were exported from Trabzon. In the 8-month period, 37 percent of total hazelnut exports were realized from Trabzon. During this period, hazelnuts were exported to 59 countries from Trabzon."

Pointing out that hazelnut exports should be carried to a sustainable level, Arslantürk said that the continuous decrease in the size of land structures, especially through inheritance, increases the costs per unit and eliminates the competitiveness.

Arslantürk stated that due to the high production costs, producers are unable to carry out adequate maintenance in the gardens, which leads to a decrease in production, yield and return every year, especially in industrial agricultural products, and that this negativity has become much more prominent in hazelnut production in recent years.

Stating that the low level of productivity per unit in Türkiye, the world's largest hazelnut producer, negatively affects the profitability of both producers and traders, Arslantürk said that in order to obtain more and better-quality products from each unit area, a transition to a competitive and sustainable hazelnut agriculture policy that prioritizes productivity is urgently needed.

 

Source: Anadolu Ajansı