Hazelnuts on additional 700 hectares in 2016 – Turkey earns USD 2.7 billion annually, production in Serbia merely 1,500 tons

The cultivation of nuts has been neglected in Serbia, with only 1,500 tons of hazelnuts produced a year, whereas Turkey produces as much as 650,000 to 700,000 tons, and Italy around 120,000 tons, writes agroklub.rs.

Italy and Germany import 100,000 tons of hazelnuts from Turkey. This alone earns Turkish producers a billion dollars, with the total export of hazelnuts amounting to USD 2.7 billion, equal to the value of the total export of agricultural products from Serbia.

In the opinion of Dr Zoran Keserovic, president of the Association of Fruit Growers of Vojvodina and consultant of the Italian company Ferrero, all this points to the fact that Serbia should step up its hazelnut production.

– The company Ferrero has created an excellent project of hazelnut production development in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and consultants from faculties in Belgrade and Novi Sad. The aim is to have this nut fruit planted on 10,000 hectares. The Italians intend to improve the type purity. A lot of local producers tend to mix types, which is a great problem in the buyout process – Keserovic says.

He notes that calibrators for special types have been made, as well as drying machines with special regimes for each type individually. It is believed that, with increased cultivation areas, the export of the export of collecting, calibrating and drying machines will also increase.

As agroklub.rs writes, it has been estimated that 500 to 700 hectares will be planted this season. Keserovic says that fruit growers are very interested in having their own plantations even outside of the agreement with Ferrero. The fact that hazel saplings were sold out in November two months before the official sale, confirms this. Saplings grafted to Turkish hazel proved to be particularly popular. The Italian purchasers are interested in types used in confectionery industry, such as Tonda Gentile Romana and Giffoni.

– The Italians require the fruit growers to perform an analysis of the soil and fertilize it accordingly. Deep tillage at 70 to 80 centimeters is necessary. Drop-by-drop irrigation systems are mandatory – Keserovic points out.

Whether the investments of the Italian company will indeed lead to hazelnut being planted on larger areas remains to be seen. eKapija wrote about hazelnut production and returns on the investments earlier.