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According to the data of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT), in Samsun, which is the second province with the most shelled hazelnut production with 123 thousand 555 tonnes in 2020, it is aimed to increase the yield thanks to the renewal of the old hazelnut orchards.
Within the scope of the “Exemplar Hazelnut Gardens Project” initiated by the Samsun Agriculture and Forestry Directorate in Terme district, the old hazelnut quarries on the sloping lands were dismantled and new saplings started to be planted in their place.
Terme District Agriculture and Forestry Director Tuncay Demir said that approximately 2 billion dollars of exports are made in hazelnut, which is a very important agricultural crop for Turkey.
Stating that Turkey makes 65 percent of the world’s hazelnut production and 70 percent of its exports and therefore the importance of the product has increased strategically, Demir said, “Even though hazelnut production is so important, the yield is unfortunately not at the desired level. When we look at other countries producing hazeltnuts, we see that the yield per decare is up to 250-300 kilograms. In our country, the average yield per decare is around 80 kilograms.”
Underlining that the low yield is due to the fact that most hazelnut orchards are very old, Demir explained, “While the average yield per decare is 650-700 kilograms in newly laid out orchards established on nearly flat lands, it drops to 20-30 kilograms in sloping and old orchards.”
“The way to boost hazelnut production in our country is to renew old orchards. Especially in sloping areas, garden renewal processes are both very costly and due to the land structure, the plant cannot fully receive the fertilizer, so its development is weak. This prolongs the process of getting full efficiency,” Demir added…
