Agriculture

Turkey’s hazelnut growers expect good season despite climate fears

August 22, 2024, 1:53 AM

Turkey hazelnut growers — Hazelnut harvesters in Ordu, Turkey. There are fears that the effects of climate change could reduce future crops

70% of global production in Turkey
750,000 tonnes expected this year
Majority used in confectionery

Turkey’s hazelnut growers are hopeful for higher production this year, but they are increasingly fearful of the effect of climate change on their crops.

Harvesting of one of Turkey’s key agricultural export products recently began, as experts forecast higher yields than last year. But concerns are mounting over the sector’s longer-term prospects.

The country accounts for between 65 and 70 percent of global hazelnut production, averaging around 700,000 tonnes annually in recent years.

Growers are projecting up to 750,000 tonnes to be brought in this year. Of this, between 80 and 85 percent will be exported, with the majority to be used in confectionery production.

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Underscoring Turkey’s dominance of the global market, its nearest rivals Italy and the US account for only 84,000 and 70,000 tonnes of product respectively. Both countries could experience reduced harvests this year because of extreme weather exacerbated by climate change.

Production in Turkey is not immune from these issues, either. In recent years, yields from some of its major hazelnut-producing provinces along the Black Sea coast have fallen.

Average temperatures climbed and rainfall decreased. But in regions where plantations are at higher altitude, temperatures have become more moderate, meaning harvests have expanded.

Turkey produces two thirds of the world’s hazelnuts

The country needs to act quickly to combat the effects on production, or else risk losing its dominant position in the market, warned Hazma Bölük, president of the National Hazelnut Council and chairman of the board of directors of the Giresun Commodities Exchange.

“If we don’t, others will fill the gap and take ownership of the product,” he told AGBI. “The world doesn’t like vacuums, so someone else will fill the demand.”

Among the measures Bölük proposes are the use of drip irrigation rather than reliance on natural rainfall. Another is improved use of pesticides to combat rising infestations of invasive insects such as the brown marmorated stink bug, which experts say are thriving as a result of climate change.

Input costs also continue to put pressure on growers. Prices of goods and services for the sector rose by an annual rate of 47.5 percent to June, according to data issued by state statistics agency Turkstat on August 20.

These are not being offset by increases in revenue. The state set the price of a kilo of hazelnuts for this year at TL130 ($3.80), the same price as in 2023. Some growers have cleared their plantations to make way for other crops in the search for better returns.

Another short-term challenge, for the industry is the global shortage of cocoa – the main ingredient in chocolate – because of weaker harvests in some leading producing nations. Lower production could reduce demand for hazelnuts, Bölük said.

“If there is no cocoa, there is no chocolate production and there will be no hazelnut sales,” he said. “They are integrated ingredients, so if one is absent, so too is the other.”