Opinion

Increasing Export of Turkish Chestnuts

Chestnut Kernel
Portugal
Published Oct 22, 2019
Turkey is the third-largest producer of chestnuts in the world: the country produced around 60K tons of chestnuts in 2018. Exports are increasing fast and Turkish exporters are looking into exporting value-added chestnut products as well.

Turkey is the third-largest producer of chestnuts in the world - after China, which produces 77% of the global chestnut supply, and Bolivia. Turkey produced around 60K tons of chestnuts in 2018, according to Me-Kar Fruits, a Turkish exporter of the nuts. Around 40% of Turkish production comes from the city of Aydin in the Aegean region, where the company is located. Due to its dry climate, sandy soil, and hilly landscape, the Aegean region is renowned for producing chestnuts. Chestnuts are grown on chestnut trees, which thrive in hilly areas. The season for Turkish chestnuts starts in early October and lasts until the end of January.

Turkey exports both marrons and chestnuts. The difference between marrons and chestnuts is not a biological difference, but many countries make a distinction between these two kinds of chestnuts. In general, marrons refer to bigger chestnuts that have a low division percentage. In Turkey, marrons refer to sweeter chestnuts that are either black or red. Typically, they are slightly larger than regular chestnuts. Around 80% of Turkish exports are classified as marrons, explains Ozan Soylu, the export manager at Me-Kar Fruits.

The Turkish chestnuts are mainly exported to Italy, but also to other European markets, such as Germany. The demand is high especially around November and December when there are a lot of holiday celebrations. In 2018, Turkey exported 43 million USD worth of chestnuts to 32 different countries. This year, that number is expected to rise to approximately 50 million USD, states Me-Kar Fruits. The chestnuts are exported in shell, but they are highly demanded in the European market as they are easily peeled.

Although Turkey is the third-largest producer of chestnuts, it is not among the top exporters. The country faces fierce competition from Spain and Portugal, which have similar seasons and similar pricing. Turkey wants to start investing in value-added chestnut products, such as candies, chocolate, and ready-to-eat chestnuts, to increase chestnut exports and margins.

Turkey’s chestnut exports are rising every year, but its production stays relatively stable around 60K tons per year. One of the reasons that Turkish chestnut production is not rising on par with its exports is tree cancer. This disease is cannot be cured or prevented and has affected many trees over the years. Nevertheless, chestnut farmers such as Me-Kar Fruits export more and more chestnuts every year. Currently, the company is looking into exporting its chestnuts to Qatar, as there have been a lot of inquiries from that region.

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