Black Sea Hazelnut Producers Increase Income by Processing Their Products

September 13, 2026 · Dünya Gazetesi

Producers in the Black Sea region are increasing their profit margins by up to 200% by cracking, roasting, and processing their harvested hazelnuts into paste and packaged kernels instead of selling them raw.

In the Black Sea Region, following the harvest and drying processes completed in August, activity has peaked in hazelnut cracking, roasting, and packaging facilities. Producers prefer to process their products themselves rather than selling them raw to traders. After being cracked and roasted in facilities, hazelnuts are transformed into kernels in vacuum-sealed packages or into hazelnut paste in jars. Mustafa Dereköylü, who operates a facility in the Ortahisar district of Trabzon, emphasized the changing marketing preferences of producers with the following words:

Marketing raw hazelnuts after converting them into finished products completely changes the producer's income statement. Business owner Mustafa Dereköylü explained the situation, stating that the increase in income varies according to the quality and yield of the product:

It was noted that for high-yield, quality products, this profit margin can reach up to 200%. Dereköylü underlined that even the lowest quality hazelnuts provide a significant economic advantage when processed and sold compared to raw sales.

The producers' shift towards value-added production is also weakening the long-standing tradition in the region of leaving hazelnuts on consignment with traders. According to the assessments of facility operator Mustafa Dereköylü, the amount of hazelnuts left on consignment has decreased by approximately 50% recently. Business owner Mustafa Dereköylü stated that producers are gaining more experience every day in processing and selling their own products:

Dereköylü indicated that the consignment hazelnut model will decline further in the coming years.

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