By 2025, hazelnut producers in Georgia will increase their harvest to 100,000 tons

Hazelnut Kernel

Georgia

Published Dec 24, 2022

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Georgian hazelnut producers plan to increase production by 40,000 tons annually. Merab Chitanava, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Georgian Hazelnut Producers Association (GHGA), stated this. Now the area under walnut orchards in the country reaches 70,000 hectares, and the total harvest is 40,000 tons. So far, the yield per hectare is very low. In a number of regions of Georgia there are industrial orchards, the yield of which reaches 2.5-3.5 tons per 1 ha.

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For comparison, in small farms this figure does not exceed 0.5 tons per 1 ha, that is, there is a high potential for growth. The Association believes that at the first stage it is possible to achieve the goal and collect an average of 1.5 tons per 1 ha in two years thanks to proper garden care. Based on these calculations, Georgian producers intend to reach a production volume of 100,000 tons and become a major player in the global hazelnut market. As for the current hazelnut harvest season, due to rainy weather and other factors, the nut harvest in 2022 is about 30% lower than the previous season (40,000 tons versus 55,000 tons). The yield of nut kernels also decreased - to 32% from 38%. At the same time, Ferrero has increased its share of hazelnut purchases from Georgia, which means that the relative share of high quality hazelnuts in the country is growing. The key problems currently facing the sector are insect pests, the lack of infrastructure for storage and drying of nuts, ...

Source: Fruitnews