Walnuts: rains bring relief in Moldova
September 18, 2024 at 4:55 PM ,
Der AUDITOR
Harvest in Moldova to start soon
As AgroExpert reports, the rainfall of the last few days has greatly benefited walnut growers in Moldova. According to Oleg Tirsine, Chairman of the Association of Walnut Growers of Moldova, this should speed up the ripening process and improve the quality of the nuts. In order for the green shell to burst open in time and the nuts to fall from the tree, a high level of humidity is required, which is guaranteed by the rainfall. Crops in previous years, when the weather in Moldova was very dry and hot in August and September, showed the opposite – the green shell did not come off and dried on the fruit. This required time-consuming post-harvest processing, and the risk of mould infestation increased considerably. Tirsine told AgroExpert that the harvest of the early varieties, such as Peschansky, can start as early as next week thanks to the rainfall, which is in line with the norm.
Production in Ukraine declines
According to the USDA, walnut production in Ukraine is estimated at 101,300 mt for the 2024/25 season, which would be 4% less than in the 2023/24 season. The Ukrainian statistical office (SSSU) has also published the official production data for the 2023 calendar year. According to this, 106,120 mt of walnuts were harvested from 16,400 ha of cultivated land. It should be noted that the majority of walnuts in Ukraine are grown by private individuals or small, family-run farms and then sold to middlemen. However, changes are also visible here. In 2015, 95% of Ukraine's walnut crop was still grown in this way; in 2023, it was only 74%. One reason for this is that many older trees now hardly bear any nuts and are felled – it takes years before the new trees are economically viable. In addition, there are adverse weather conditions – while the trees in the south of Ukraine often require additional irrigation, cooler temperatures in the north have led to a decline in yields.
Exports are also declining
The USDA also states that Ukraine's exports are declining. This is partly due to quality; because the nuts come from different growers, it is difficult to guarantee a larger supply of the same quality. Other international competitors such as the USA, China and Chile have an advantage here. The high level of Chinese exports is even having a negative impact on Ukraine's market share. In the 2024/25 season, exports could amount to 85,000 mt, which would be 9.4% less than in the previous year. The majority of Ukrainian walnuts are exported shelled.
EU significantly increases imports
The EU is an important buyer of Ukrainian walnut exports. The EU has imported a total of 91,755 mt of shelled walnuts since the beginning of the year, and Ukraine is the second most important source country with 13,213 mt, an increase of a whopping 80.8%. The EU countries only sourced more walnuts from the USA, which increased its shipments by almost 32%. China also supplied considerably more walnuts to the EU, while Chile and Moldova recorded slight losses. The top importer in the EU during this period was Germany with 31,880 mt, followed by Spain (15,430 mt) and the Netherlands (14,230 mt).
|
EU walnut imports, in mt |
|||
|
Supplier |
2023 |
2024 |
Diff. |
|
USA |
44,921 |
59,267 |
31.9% |
|
Ukraine |
7,309 |
13,213 |
80.8% |
|
Chile |
10,580 |
10,448 |
-1.2% |
|
China |
2,870 |
5,397 |
88.0% |
|
Moldova |
2,435 |
2,365 |
-2.9% |
|
Others |
1,457 |
1,065 |
-26.9% |
|
Total |
69,572 |
91,755 |
31.9% |
|
DG TAXUD Customs Surveillance 01/01-15/09 08023200 – Fresh or dried walnuts, shelled |
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