Breaking the shell: Patagonia's cluster of nuts projects to export 20% more this year

The exports of walnuts produced in the Alto Valle de Río Negro and the central-west region of Nequén will grow this year 20% compared to 2019, with a projected total of 180 tons, as estimated by the president of the Nuts Cluster of North Patagonia, Silvana Moschini. The production of dried fruits of North Patagonia extends from the Lower Valley of Río Negro to the town of Añelo, in the center-east of Neuquén, over a total of 2,800 hectares, which for two years have had the anti-hail coverage provided by the agricultural compensation entities of each province. In this area, the most important production of nuts is walnut trees, which last year managed to export a total of 150 tons to Italy, Uruguay and Turkey. Production costs depend on the system that is implemented, “but in this area we are around 1.10 or 1.20 dollars per kilo of walnuts. The profitability that has been obtained in the last few years that it began to export is 2.40 or 2.50 dollars of return to the producer ”, ...