Turkey breaks record in hazelnut exports

Turkey, one of the few countries in the world with most favorable climate conditions for hazelnut production, produces and exports 75% of the world total and its quality is evident by everybody.
Turkey’s hazelnut production areas in the vicinity of 700 thousand hectares and annual production amount of inshell hazelnut varies from 600 thousand tons to 800 thousand depending on weather conditions. According to Mr. Dursun Oguz Gursoy, Chairman of the Board of Black Sea Hazelnut and Products Exporters’ Union, Turkey realized a record in hazelnut exports with 301,193 tons of hazelnut kernels and 602,386 tons of shelled hazelnuts in the 2012-13 season thereby motivating itself to manage its major target set for 2023 with 350 thousand tons of hazelnut kernels export.
Having most modern integrated processing plants of the world, members of Giresunbased Black Sea Hazelnut and Products Exporters’ Union (www.kib.org.tr), which was founded in 1940, realize 70% of Turkey’s total hazelnut exports.
Dursun Oguz Gursoy said, “Our members have the most modern integrated processing plants and they can deliver all kinds of buyer specifications on time at any conditions.”
“We mainly export to EU countries. 74- 75% of our total hazelnut exports are going to these countries. I should highlight the fact that the efforts done by Hazelnut Promotion Group are efficient because the share of European countries decreased down from 80% to 74-75% which Marks that hazelnuts have been promoted in other country groups as well.”