Turkish hazelnut growers lose confidence as prices plunge

Turkey's hazelnut sector faces a crisis as farmgate prices have fallen sharply from around 350‑370 TL per bag last season to 170‑180 TL this year, according to Arslan Soydan, a board member of the Turkish Agricultural Chambers Union (TZOB). He said the rapid drop, combined with soaring production costs—hazelnut bag prices have doubled to 20 TL, daily wages for seasonal workers have risen to about 3,500 TL, and orchard maintenance costs range from 7,000‑8,000 TL—has eroded producers' confidence and threatened their motivation to plant.

Soydan highlighted that many growers now look to the upcoming price announcement by the State Grain Board (TMO) for stability, emphasizing that hazelnuts are a strategic export commodity that brings billions of dollars in foreign earnings to Turkey. He called for a price that covers costs to sustain both the farmers' livelihoods and the national economy.