Between catastrophic weather and unfair competition, French hazelnut production in danger

Anger in the hazelnut orchards. Not only do producers have to face a climate that is not kind to them - lots of rain - but their hazelnuts are also attacked by two pests, two small insects, the Balanin and the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, which cause damage, and against which the sector is quite helpless. Until 2018, farms could treat with a chemical product that belongs to the neonicotinoid family, an insecticide now banned in France, but not among European competitors, Italy in the lead, or in Turkey! To meet demand, while the French are losing considerable volumes due to lack of treatment, Italian and Turkish hazelnuts are imported into France... Incomprehensible for French producers. Two thirds of production lost In Lot-et-Garonne, 300 producers are seeing the disaster. "These are hazelnuts that taste like bugs. This year, in the cooperative, we are around 25 to 30% of stings and rotten hazelnuts. It's catastrophic," warn producer Robin Safi and his partner. This year, two ...