It is stated in the historic documents that hazelnut have been produced on the coasts of Black Sea in the North of Turkey 2300 years ago and it is known that hazelnut has been exported to the other countries from Turkey for the last 6 centuries. Turkey, which is one of the few countries of the world having suitable weather conditions required for hazelnut cultivation, realizes 75% of world’s production and 70-75% of the exports.
Hazelnut gardens, which are located densely on Black Sea coasts of Turkey, exist in an area that does not exceed maximum 30 km from coast to the interior part. They reach out almost Georgia as a green border between the sea and mountains across the entire Black Sea to eastwards starting from Zonguldak (east of İstanbul) in West Black Sea.
4,000,000 people, directly and indirectly, are interested in hazelnut, which is cultivated in an area of 550-600 thousand hectares in Turkey; this increases the socio-economic importance of hazelnut. Turkey has a distinguished place among the other countries cultivating hazelnut in the world due to its superior quality, and it continues to maintain its leadership in production and exportation.
PRODUCTION AREAS
Hazelnut tree, which grows up on 36-41 north latitudes and specific climate conditions in the earth, yields maximum30 km interior the coasts and in places having an altitude of maximum 750-1000 metres.
The regions cultivating hazelnut in Turkey may be grouped into two sub-regions in Turkey:
a) 1st Standard Region (east part of Black Sea Region): Ordu, Giresun, Rize, Trabzon and Artvin provinces.
b) 2nd Standard Region (middle and west part of Black Sea Region): Samsun, Sinop, Kastamonu, Bolu, Düzce, Sakarya, Zonguldak and Kocaeli provinces.
HARVEST
Turkish hazelnuts ripen generally between the beginning and end of August, depending on the altitude of the place, on which the garden is located. Timely harvest is carried out by collecting the husked hazelnuts, which fall down by shaking the branches of the hazelnut trees’ branches, from the ground. Another harvesting method is that carried out by collecting from the branches one by one.
Hazelnuts, which are collected from the gardens, are brought to threshing floor on the same day or a few days later, depending on the status of the land, and pre-drying is carried out by spreading out on threshing floor in a thickness of 10-15 cm and withering in the sun until the husks turn into brown. After withering, the hazelnuts are separated from their husks by haymaker, and left for drying in the sun in thin layers on the awnings.
The total drying period reaches to 15-20 days, including the pre-drying period, depending on weather. Drying naturally and under sun is an important factor in deliciousness of Turkish hazelnut.
INTENDED USES
Almost 90% of the hazelnut, which is also consumed as appetizer in Turkey and world, is used in chocolate, biscuit, candy industries, in dessert, cake and ice cream making, and in meals and salads as auxiliary ingredient in the forms of roasted, whitened, chopped, sliced, flour and puree.
Hazelnut, which is known approximately for five thousand years, provides great benefits to the human from its fruit to its wood. Nutshell is used as a very valuable and high calorie fuel particularly in the regions, where the hazelnut is cultivated in our country.
Furthermore, hazelnut wood is utilized in making basket, walking stick, chair, fence, and hand tools. Some kinds are grown up in parks and gardens as ornamental plants. Hazelnut leaves and fruit husks are also used as fertilizer. The surplus hazelnuts are considered as oil. Raw hazelnut oil is used as cooking oil by refining it, and the hazelnut pulp is used as additive in feed stuff industry.
INDUSTRY and TRADE
Still, in our country there are 180 crushing plants with an annual kernel capacity of 1,800,000 tons and 40 processing plants with an annual kernel capacity of 350,000 tons. While in 1970s 90% of our hazelnut exports has been realized as shelled and natural hazelnut kernel, in 2000 the rate of processed hazelnut exportation reached over 30% in our total exportation, as a result of positive and rapid developments in hazelnut processing industry.
Particularly exportation of processed hazelnut kernel increases every year, in parallel to fulfilling the requests of the buyer companies completely, thanks to the effective and attentive quality control systems in each stage of production. The processed hazelnuts, which are prepared in our country, have much higher quality than the processed hazelnuts prepared by many importers – industrialists in their own facilities through purchasing natural hazelnuts. The minimum level analyses conducted by quality assurance departments under HACCP in processed hazelnut kernel production of both public and private sectors are attached.
PACKAGING
Our country’s hazelnut exportation is carried out in the packages specified below, depending on the requests of the buyers.
Natural Kernel:
– In general, in jute sacks of 25, 50 or 80 kg, – in laminated big bags of 500, 800 or 1000 kg – in cardboard boxes of 10, 12.5, 20 or 25 kg (in vacuum bags, in non-vacuum polyethylene bags, directly in cardboard boxes)
– In paper bags of 25 or 40 kg
– In vacuum or non-vacuum packages of 25gr, 40gr, 80gr, 100gr, 200 gr, 500 gr and 1kg, intended directly for consumers
Blanched, Roasted, Chopped, Flour:
– In polyethylene bagged jute sacks of 25 or 50 kg
– In cardboard boxes of 10, 12.5, 20, 25 kg (in vacuum bags, in non-vacuum polyethylene bags)
– In laminated big bags of 500, 800 or 1000 kg
– In aluminium vacuum bags
– In vacuum or non-vacuum packages of 25gr, 40gr, 80gr, 100gr, 200 gr, 500 gr and 1kg, intended directly for consumers
Sliced:
– In polyethylene bagged non-vacuum cardboard boxes of 10, 12.5, 20 or 25 kg
Hazelnut paste:
– In plastic barrels, which are used in food stuff, of 30, 60, 120, 200 or 220 kg
– In lacquered metal barrels of 30, 60, 200 kg
– Through filling directly to tankers of 20 or 22 tons
