Hazelnut Market Update

The hazelnut industry has had quite a busy month as crops in Georgia, Italy, and Turkey prepare for the harvest season. However, there have been many natural delays during production, which is necessary to understand how things are going.

Turkey has been experiencing quite a bit of rain which has raised concerns over the harvest. However, as you read on, you will find out that while there have been concerns, there is no substantial proof to back this. So, here’s what you need to know.

What’s Going On?

This season's overall production will be higher than last year's, with an increase of 7%. What you need to focus on is the share of the total production this year. This year, Turkey will represent 68% of the total produce, compared to 60% of last year. 

The frost during the springtime strongly affected the crop in Italy, with a shortage of production this year being around 60%. There were strong rains in Georgia (Samegrelo) and Ordu (the Black Sea in Turkey) during the harvest operations. 

This affected the crop with a high % of rotten in Georgia (around 5%) and also in the Black Sea in Turkey. Lower quality product is expected compared to other areas of production. 

However, in general, the harvest operations are going well, but a little bit slow cause of the rains in some production areas. 

In the last five years, before the pandemic issue, the demand has increased by an average of 5%. Last year, the demand recorded the same level as the previous year, even with the overall situation.

What To Watch Out For

The lack of some materials (packaging) and transport availability (trucks) may affect the delivery timetable.

In Turkey, we have a balance among the caliber with around 8% of under caliber, 40% of 11/13 caliber, and 52% of 13/15 and over caliber. Azerbaijan and Georgia, on the contrary, have a higher share of 09/11 and 11/13 caliber (70%). As for blank hazelnuts, since they fall naturally on their own, we don’t have to worry about those getting mixed in the crops.