In W35 in the hazelnut landscape, the Northern Hemisphere hazelnut harvest has commenced, with Turkey, the market leader, anticipating a good but slightly lower-than-expected crop. In August, hazelnut prices in Turkey surged by 13% month-on-month (MoM), attributed to a temporary supply shortage, the strengthening of the Turkish lira, and substantial inventories held by the Turkish Grain Board (TMO). The ongoing harvest may exert downward pressure on prices, particularly as competition from Georgian and Azerbaijani hazelnut crops intensifies, and European importers await the availability of Italian hazelnuts.
The Turkish Grain Board (TMO) has initiated the purchase of shelled hazelnuts based on the hazelnut purchase prices announced by the President of Türkiye on August 7. These prices aim to address marketing issues for producers and fulfill their storage and financing requirements. The purchase prices include USD 3.14 per kilogram (TRY 84/kg) for Giresun quality in-shell hazelnuts, USD 3.06/kg (TRY 82/kg) for levant quality in-shell hazelnuts, USD 2.99/kg (TRY 80/kg) for sharp quality, and USD 2.80/kg (TRY 75/kg) for non-standard shelled hazelnuts, TMO has completed the necessary preparations for the purchase of in-shell hazelnuts, including technical infrastructure, personnel, and financial arrangements.
Furthermore, in the first eight months of 2023, Düzce, a significant hazelnut-producing region in Turkey, exported 3.04 thousand tons of hazelnut kernels to European Union (EU) countries. The majority of these exports comprised processed hazelnut kernels. In 2022, Düzce achieved hazelnut exports totaling 16.33 thousand tons.
Lastly, Turkish hazelnut and product exporters recently met with Japanese dried nut companies in an event organized by the Black Sea Exporters' Association. This gathering aimed to foster collaboration and promote the Turkish hazelnut industry to the Japanese delegation, which consisted of five significant nut importers in Japan. The event included bilateral business meetings between Turkish hazelnut exporters and Japanese company representatives, and these discussions are expected to lead to potential commercial relationships. The Japanese delegation also had the opportunity to visit hazelnut processing facilities and gain insights into the Turkish hazelnut industry.