TURKISH AGRI.NEWS

Turkey, the world's biggest hazelnut supplier, brought in nearly $1.65 billion in revenues from nut exports between September 2019 and March 2020, a regional trade group on confirmed Thursday. The Black Sea Hazelnut and Products Exporters' Association data showed that hazelnut exports jumped 52% in the seven months, compared to the same period a year before. During this season so far which starts in September and ends in August, Turkey's hazelnut exports hit 250,777 tons, surging 32% year-on-year. The country exports hazelnut mainly to the European Union, which has robust food industries to process the nuts.

Turkey earned $1.44 billion by exporting 220,724 tons of hazelnuts between September and February, a regional trade union announced on Tuesday. The country's hazelnut exports rose 32.1% on a quantity basis and increased 51.6% on a value basis during the first six months of the season, which starts in September and ends in August. In the same period last year, revenues were $950.7 million, the Black Sea Hazelnut and Products Exporters' Association reported. With nearly 78% of total exports, the EU remained the top destination for Turkey's hazelnut exports.

Turkey 's hazelnut exports jumped 75 percent in the first month of the season -- September -- vice president of the Black Sea Hazelnut and Products Exporters' Association said. "Around 46,000 tons of hazelnut is exported in a month," Dursun Oğuz Gürsoy told Anadolu Agency, adding: "If we continue with this pace, we can export 310,000 tons of hazelnuts by the end of 2019-2020 season." Gürsoy noted that the union forecast 800,000 tons of hazelnut production between Sept. 2018 and Aug. 2019, thanks to good yield.