HAZELNUTS AND THE REPUBLIC…
As we celebrate the 101st anniversary of our Republic with unity and solidarity as a nation, we wholeheartedly declare “a thousand and one blessings” and believe that future generations will continue to commemorate this momentous occasion.
We hold this belief because the agricultural and livestock production carried out on the lands that constitute the borders of the Republic of Turkey guarantees our future. For nations and states, the greatest assurance lies in the works carried out and civilizations built on the lands they possess.
Located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, the Republic of Turkey continues to follow the path laid out by its founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who emphasized that “The foundation of the national economy is agriculture.” He also stated, “For this reason, we attach great importance to development in agriculture.”
Among the diverse agricultural products cultivated in Turkey, hazelnuts hold a special place of significant importance.
In the early years of the Republic, hazelnut cultivation was limited to the provinces of Ordu, Giresun, and Trabzon. Today, it has expanded from Artvin to Istanbul, with hazelnut orchards of various sizes scattered across this vast area.
A century ago, hazelnuts were cultivated on approximately 50,000 hectares; today, this figure has reached nearly 750,000 hectares. Exports, which began in the 1300s, have grown exponentially. While a century ago, exports consisted of 15,000 tons of shelled and 8,000 tons of unshelled hazelnuts, today, these numbers have surged to 300,000 tons of shelled hazelnuts, equivalent to 600,000 tons of unshelled hazelnuts, generating annual revenues of $2–2.5 billion.
Atatürk’s vision for agriculture was clear: “Programmed and practical efforts that extend to villages will facilitate achieving this goal. However, to successfully realize this important endeavor, it is essential to establish an agricultural policy based on thorough studies and implement an agricultural system that every villager and citizen can easily understand and willingly apply.” Guided by this vision, developments in agriculture led to the establishment of Fiskobirlik, a hazelnut cooperative.
In 1931, the Hazelnut Export Regulations were published, followed by the convening of the First National Hazelnut Congress in 1935. These milestones were succeeded by the establishment of Exporters' Unions and the Hazelnut Research Institute.
Today, Turkey stands as the global leader in hazelnut production and trade, making hazelnuts the most lucrative agricultural product in terms of foreign exchange earnings.
Is this sufficient? Certainly not. With our 750,000 hectares of hazelnut orchards, it is possible to produce far more than the recent average of 700,000 tons. We have the potential to reach 1.5 million tons of production.
Similarly, hazelnut exports, which currently bring in $2–2.5 billion annually, could easily generate $4–5 billion.
As a commodity exchange, we emphasize the motto: “Work more, produce more, sell more, and earn more.” We firmly believe that we must build upon the achievements we have gained alongside the Republic and strive for even greater success.
To this end, we continue the initiatives we began a quarter-century ago to improve productivity and quality in hazelnut production.
We deeply understand that serving the Republic of Turkey, founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and entrusted to us by our ancestors, through hazelnuts is the path to securing a prosperous future.
