Turkey: Prices going nuts, hazelnut producers say

Turkey: Prices going nuts, hazelnut producers say

Hazelnut production has become quite troublesome for producers due to government incentives deemed unsuitable by hazelnut producers.

The overstocked inventories have caused prices to remain unstable, according to Hazelnut Promotion Group, or FTG. "The excessive amount of incentives provided by the government has generated overproduction, making hazelnut production one of Turkey’s major problems," said Kamil Yavuz, executive board member of FTG, speaking at a press conference Tuesday.

Turkey’s annual hazelnut exports are worth between $1 billion to $1.5 billion. Meanwhile, the Turkish government spent $1 billion for the production of hazelnuts within the past year, he said. "T that money could have been used to build new schools and industry centers."

Other countries such as Chile, Azerbaijan, and Georgia have also started to produce hazelnuts, Sevinç said. "If we continue to use our natural resources badly other countries will take the leadership of hazelnut production, unless we determine a suitable policy."