Hazelnut production in Turkey

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Hazelnut production in Turkey is very important because the country grows most of the world’s hazelnuts. The main farms are along the Black Sea coast, from Ordu to Artvin, with a newer zone from Samsun to Kocaeli. The biggest growing areas are Ordu, Samsun, Artvin and Giresun, with Sakarya and Düzce also producing a lot. In 2017, Ordu alone harvested about 200,000 tons.

All hazelnuts in Turkey come from the Corylus avellana plant (not the native Corylus colurna). Popular varieties include Tombul, Çakıldak, Foşa and Sivri. Since 2012, breeding has produced hazelnuts that ripen faster. Harvest is usually in August. The typical farm size is about 3 hectares, and many farms are on steep slopes. About 400,000 families own hazelnut orchards.

Because of concerns about child labor, Ferrero (maker of Nutella) and other companies like Balsu and Olam started programs in 2012 to address the issue, working with Nestlé and the Turkish government.

Turkey’s hazelnuts became the top global producer after the 1964 Purchase Guarantee law, and exports go to more than 100 countries. More than half of production costs are labor, and harvesting is the largest expense. The environmental impact mainly comes from synthetic fertilizer use. Some researchers say yields should be studied with different soils and fertilizer plans, and there is a suggestion to help farmers transition to organic farming, which would take about three years.

As of 2023, there is not much organic farming because of nitrogen needs and pest problems, especially nut weevils.

Pests and damages have hit the industry. Damages were estimated at about $200 million in 2017 and $300 million in 2018, mainly from the brown marmorated stink bug, green stink bug, and powdery mildew. The stink bug was first found in Istanbul in September 2017, then in Artvin, and has spread to the Eastern Black Sea Region. It is thought to have entered from Georgia. A professor from Ondokuz Mayıs University said Artvin’s hazelnut yield dropped about 20% and could fall further, possibly up to 50% in the future, risking around $1 billion in damages.