Hazelnut production seen at 718,000 tons

Türkiye's hazelnut production is expected to be around 717,931 tons this year, according to the Union of Turkish Agricultural Chambers (TZOB).

Türkiye is the world's largest producer of hazelnut.

"The survey conducted in 16 provinces showed that the hazelnut production will be slightly lower in 2023 from last year," said Arslan Soydan from the TZOB.

The northern province of Ordu is estimated to produce around 198,000 tons of hazelnut this year, followed by the northern province of Samsun and the northwestern province of Sakarya at 125,000 tons and 100,000 tons respectively.

The country's total hazelnut output in 2023 will probably be around 40,000 tons less than last year's production, said Soydan.

He added that heavy rain, which hit the Black Sea region in early July, caused damage to the hazelnut fields and other agricultural lands, adding that works are still underway to determine the extent of the damage.

In Ordu alone, around 4,000 hectares of land were affected by the torrential rain, according to Soydan.

Business daily Ekonomi reported that the average cost of producing a kilogram of hazelnut is more than 71 Turkish Liras ($2.63).

Input costs of hazelnut growers more than doubled over the past year, Soydan told the daily, noting that labor costs in the industry also increased.

Growers are now waiting for the Turkish Grain Board (TMO) to announce this year's base price for hazelnut.

Türkiye's hazelnut production on average was around 750,000 tons in the past five years and the price was around $3 per kilogram, Hamza Bölük, the president of the National Hazelnut Council, told the daily.

He noted that annual local consumption is some 800,000 tons. "TMO has some 125,000 tons of...