Hazelnut harvest ends in the Black Sea, packaging process benefits producers
Following the completed hazelnut harvest and drying processes in the Black Sea region, producers who process their products in cracking and roasting facilities achieve high earnings.
The hazelnut harvest and drying process have been completed in the Black Sea region, and instead of selling their products cheaply to merchants, producers have started to make a profit ranging from 40 percent to 200 percent by evaluating them in cracking, roasting, and packaging facilities.
Harvest and Drying Process Completed
The hazelnut harvest works that started in August in the Black Sea region and the subsequent drying process have been successfully completed. Cracking and roasting facilities, whose numbers have rapidly increased in the region in recent years, are flooded with producers who want to make their products value-added.
Processed at the Facility Instead of the Merchant
Producers who do not want to dispose of their hazelnuts cheaply and expatriates visiting their hometowns process their harvested products through facilities. Hazelnuts that are cracked, roasted, and vacuum-sealed for a certain fee are delivered as kernel hazelnuts, hazelnut paste, and gift packages.
Profit Rate Reaching Up to 200 Percent
Mustafa Dereköylü, who operates a hazelnut processing facility in Ortahisar, Trabzon, stated that citizens are becoming more conscious, and producers who package their hazelnuts or have them made into paste instead of selling them raw achieve a profit between 40 percent and 200 percent depending on the yield percentage.
Rains Delayed the Season but Increased Quality
While it was stated that the harvest was delayed by 10 to 15 days due to the rainy season this year, it is noted that product quality and yield are high in contrast. It is emphasized that hazelnuts in high-altitude areas, which are abundant in rain and keep cool, rank first in terms of quality.
The Custody System is Becoming History
It was recorded that the habit of producers leaving their hazelnuts in the custody of merchants, which was common in past years, has decreased by half. Sector representatives, stating that producers have learned to process and sell their own products, predict that the custody system will end completely within a few years.