Turkish hazelnut producers face price gap between TMO and free market

Hazelnut producers in Turkey are facing significant economic tension as free market prices fall well below the official base prices set by the Turkish Grain Board (TMO). While TMO has established purchase prices of 255 TL for Giresun quality and 250 TL for Levant quality, free market rates in various provinces have been reported as low as 160-180 TL per kilogram.

Industry representatives and local officials, including Altınordu Ziraat Odası President Atakan Akça, have called for stricter government oversight. Akça specifically questioned why market prices remain low despite commitments from major buyers like Ferrero Türkiye to adhere to base prices, describing the discrepancy as a “robbery” of the producers.

In response to logistical and quality concerns, TMO has expanded its purchase points in Trabzon and increased the acceptable rottenness threshold from 3% to 7%. Additionally, producers with high-yield, high-quality crops are able to secure prices near 280 TL through TMO by leveraging yield bonuses, highlighting a significant gap between high-quality specialized production and general market offerings.