Introduction to Hazelnut Shortage
We got used to supermarket shortage, from toilet paper during covid-19 to sunflower oil in the middle of the Ukraine decline and eggs during the bird flu. The latest victim is the hazelnut, which in April in Turkey, the world’s largest supplier and the continuing pressure of climate change due to a rare and devastating frost.
The Impact of Hazelnut Shortage
Hazelnut prices have increased by over 35% since April when exporters buy the more limited offer. At one point, the prices for Turkish hazelnut -futures over 200 lira (4.91 USD, € 4.22) per kilogram with predictions of $ 10 per kilo internationally. This shortfall will occur with a hard time, since the costs for Nutella, the beloved chocolate hazelnut spread, and other chocolates and baked goods have a sharp price increase.
Nutella’s Hazelnut Headache
Although hazelnuts do not attract a lot of attention, they are an important part of many premium and mass market products. The missions are high for brands such as Ferrero, which Nutella produces and reports around a quarter of the global hazelnut supply. Nutella mainly consists of sugar and palm oil, but hazelnuts make up about 13% of the recipe. Millions of glasses of chocolate distribution are sold annually, which means that even small price increases increase the production costs and press the margins.
Possible Solutions for Ferrero
If the importance has been obtained, the lack of hazelnut Ferrero and other producers can force them to reorganize the recipes for their sweet treats. Conditators could possibly be forced to reduce the product sizes or transfer the costs to consumers as soon as the popular festive time moves closer. Ferrero’s roots are located in the Italy Piemon region, where high-quality tonda hazelnuts are grown. In addition to Italy, Ferrero receives hazelnuts from Turkey, Chile and the United States every year.
Hazelnut Deficiency
Estimates of the Turkish Statistical Institute (Turkstat) in June laid the harvest from 2025 to 520,000 tons compared to the initially expected around 750,000 tons, although they were later revised. The international nut & dried fruit ride (INC) announced that the frost in Turkey reduced the hazelnut forecast by almost 22% to around 601,000 tons in the shell, whereby the Black Sea Exporters’ Association (KIB) cited a more optimistic projection. According to INC, the latest estimate suggests that the country has lost around 167,000 tons in frost compared to initial fears of almost 250,000.
Consequences of the Shortage
Fortunately, Turkey kept part of its 2022 harvest – around 150,000 tons, Inc. said what was now exhausted. This should help reduce the defect. Hazelnuts are harvested annually, usually in late summer. In years of surplus, however, Turkey often stores excess harvests for future sales, since farmers expect higher prices. Corporate buyers are now looking for Chile, Georgia and the USA to reduce the dependence on Turkey, but also secretly hope that prices are stabilizing when the Turkish harvest is better than feared.
Looking for Alternative Supplies
Other hazelnut -growing regions also face challenges. Chile and Georgia produce far less than Turkey, and the US hazelnuts, mainly from Oregon, differ in taste. The scaling of production elsewhere takes years because the hazelnut trees take 5-7 years to mature short-term relief. Some believe that Turkey’s delay in the announcement of a hazelnut base price last year also left a vacuum that was filled by speculators and exporters. The KIB traditionally defines a price floor at the beginning of the harvest to stabilize the market and to lead the expectations of farmers.
The Impact of Climate Change
The deficiency also contains more profound vulnerability: the fragility of plant -dependent sectors for the effects of climate change. Hazelnuts are particularly sensitive to spring frosts, and this year’s cold in Turkey is a strong memory of how the climate crisis not only means warmth but unpredictability. Coffee and cocoa have recently confronted with climate -related disorders. The lack of hazelnut has forced the confectioners to rethink the procurement and ingredients for their sweet treats. Experts have warned that irregular weather could become more common and threaten hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts.
