Turkish hazelnut producers face price crisis amid market volatility

Turkish hazelnut producers are facing significant economic distress due to a widening gap between official purchase prices and free market rates. While the Toprak Mahsulleri Ofisi (TMO) has set purchase prices at 255 TL for Giresun quality and 250 TL for Levant quality, reports indicate that free market prices have dropped as low as 150 to 180 TL per kilogram.

Local officials and political representatives attribute this decline to various factors, including pests like the brown marmorated stink bug, garden rot, and other diseases that have damaged crop yields and quality. There are concerns that these low prices threaten the future sustainability of hazelnut farming, as production costs remain high.

In response to the market volatility, inspectors from the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Treasury and Finance have reportedly begun field investigations to monitor the situation. Political figures have called for fairer pricing, with some suggesting that a price of at least 500 TL is necessary to meet producer costs and protect the livelihoods of approximately 500,000 farming families.