Developments in the Chestnut Market of Turkey

Abstract

Turkey is one of the main countries both in producing and exporting chestnut in the world. Objective of this study was to evaluate the structure and developments in the chestnut market of Turkey since the 1960s. The main data were gathered from the databases of the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Turkish Statistical Institute. In 2016, Turkey was the second largest chestnut producer in the world with a share of 2.97%. Chestnut plantation areas in Turkey have decreased from 48,000 to 39,000 ha since 1961. While chestnut production increased to 90,000 tons in 1988, and decreased to 65,000 t recently. Whereas the yield per hectare was over 2 t in 1988, which decreased to 1.6 t recently, due to ink disease and canker blight. Most of the chestnut production is traditionally sold by producers to wholesalers; therefore, producers cannot compete with wholesalers due to lack of sufficient and effective cooperation under farmer organization. In chestnut importation, 43,2% of tariff rate has been applied. Although the net incomes per ton of the chestnut producers have increased from 1,000 US$ to 3,500 US$ since 2001, total and per capita chestnut consumption amounts have decreased since the late 1980s. Turkey's chestnut export fluctuated between 1,000 t and 12,000 t depending on production and price levels and it accounted for 4.1% of the global chestnut exportation. In recent years, Turkey has imported between 20 t and 700 t chestnut totaling of 5,000- 700,000 US$ in value.