Hazelnuts: unattractive prices

November 8, 2021 at 11:22 AM , Der AUDITOR
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ORDU. Although exchange rate fluctuations have prompted suppliers to adjust export prices, the lira no longer takes centre stage in Turkey’s hazelnut market. Attention has rather shifted towards quality issues, widening price gaps and a change in buying. Georgia and Azerbaijan are far from successful in competing with Turkey.

Exports fall short of expectations

The TMO has allegedly purchased around 80,000 mt of inshells and is well on course for meeting its target of 100,000 mt. Differing figures, however, prevail in the market and quality certainly is an issue here. Exports are slowly starting to pick up from the late start to the season and ranged at 69,000 mt at the end of October, which is up on the 59,000 mt shipped overseas in the same period last year. However, it should be noted that exports still fall well short of 2019, when they hit 99,000 mt in October. Exporters expect shipments to range on a similar level as two years ago and the figures for November will show how realistic these expectations are.

Chances that exports will pick up in the second half of the season are, however, quite good. Issue is that production has declined in Italy this year and prices are far from competitive in the different parts of the country. Suppliers in Georgia are also confronted with quality issues. The EU has even stepped up checks for shipments form the country. According to the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed an unusually high number of shipments from Georgia have been rejected in recent months due to high aflatoxin levels. Issue is that heavy rains in the harvest season have impacted the quality of the nuts. Prices are far from competitive. Azerbaijan is also struggling with the depreciation of the Turkish lira, but prices here will only change in mid-November as soon as contracts expire and Russia issues a new tender for hazelnuts. The prices for natural hazelnut kernels size 11-13 mm form Azerbaijan range at USD 6.20/kg DAP Central Europe and for natural kernels, size 11-13 mm from Georgia at USD 5.92/kg DAP Central Europe.

Firm prices in Turkey

Raw nut and export prices have, meanwhile, remained firm in Turkey. Traders, however, report that prices are drifting further apart. Good news, nevertheless, is that the buyers are showing more interest in long-term contracts.

Hazelnuts, Turkey

Size

EUR/kg

Natural, 11-13 mm 

5.45

Diced, 2-4 mm 

5.80

Meal, 0-2 mm 

5.40

Hazelnut paste

5.20

DDP Central Europe

 

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