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Türkiye’s state-run Turkish Grain Board (TMO) on Tuesday announced its official hazelnut purchase prices for the 2025–2026 season, setting the rate at ₺200 ($4.93) per kilogram for Giresun quality and ₺195 for levant quality hazelnuts, representing year-over-year increases of 51.5% and 50%, respectively.
The price surge is particularly concerning for global chocolate manufacturers such as Italy's Ferrero, as it sources approximately 25% of Türkiye’s annual output and relies on hazelnuts as a key ingredient in chocolate products.
The decision comes as the country, which supplies nearly 70% of the world’s hazelnuts, grapples with one of its most disrupted harvests in recent memory.
According to the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, the announced rates are based on a 50% sound kernel yield.
In addition, TMO will pay a premium for higher-quality harvests, offering an extra ₺4 per kilogram for Giresun quality and ₺3.9 for levant quality for each percentage point above the 50% kernel yield threshold.
The pricing mechanism is intended to help producers meet storage and financing needs while also addressing potential marketing difficulties due to unstable supply conditions.
A destructive spring frost in April severely damaged orchards across Türkiye’s Black Sea region, causing estimated production to drop below 400,000 tons, down from the usual range of 700,000 to 800,000 tons.
The resulting supply shock has pushed free-market prices to nearly ₺180 per kilogram, with forward contracts already surpassing ₺200.
Industry analysts previously warned that prices could reach ₺300 per kilogram domestically, while international rates could spike to $10 per kilogram—the highest since a similar shortfall in 2014.
Despite the supply crunch, Türkiye exported nearly 143,000 tons of hazelnuts in the first half of 2025, generating close to $1.2 billion in revenue. However, exporters are bracing for a potentially weaker second half unless supply stabilizes and price volatility is contained.
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