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Hazelnuts: Italy fears Turkish advance
Italy
Thursday 04 September 2008
Italian hazelnuts, leader in EU, risk extinction. Generalized price rise, price speculation and competition from third Countries are the main reasons for that. After that in 2007 hazelnuts’ quotations to producers dropped from 250 to around 160-170 euros per 100 kilos, at the opening of the commercial campaign this year, quotations are only around 130-140 euros. Wholesalers explain such modest prices with the fact that Turkey, largest world producer accounting for 70% of the world crop, is expected to enter the market soon with 900,000 tons of hazelnuts.
However, growers question such data as they say that the 2008 Turkish crop wouldn’t exceed 400,000 tons. Such uncertainty on Turkey’ production forecasts contribute to the difficulty again of Italian hazelnut campaign.
Furthermore, the crop in Italy - which up to one month ago was expected to be abundant - seems will be heavily reduced due to drought and high temperatures this summer. With 142,109 tons, Italy is the leader in terms of hazelnut production in the EU (it absorbs 81%), before Spain (25,000 tons, 14%) and France (3%).
However, growers question such data as they say that the 2008 Turkish crop wouldn’t exceed 400,000 tons. Such uncertainty on Turkey’ production forecasts contribute to the difficulty again of Italian hazelnut campaign.
Furthermore, the crop in Italy - which up to one month ago was expected to be abundant - seems will be heavily reduced due to drought and high temperatures this summer. With 142,109 tons, Italy is the leader in terms of hazelnut production in the EU (it absorbs 81%), before Spain (25,000 tons, 14%) and France (3%).
