Turkey's hazelnut price announcement sparks farmer outrage

Turkey's state-run Grain Board (TMO) announced its 2026 hazelnut purchase prices, setting them at 255 Turkish lira per kilogram for Giresun quality and 250 lira for Levant quality. The announcement immediately drew sharp criticism from producers and agricultural organizations, who deemed the prices a severe disappointment and economically unviable.

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The determined figure is very far from the costs and the economic conditions we are in, and it will only grease the wheels of the monopolists. This price is a complete devastation for the producer. The 240 TL base price offer is a betrayal of the hazelnut producer.

Nurettin Karan, head of the Giresun Chamber of Agriculture, described the price as a "complete disappointment" and "the death sentence for the producer." He argued that the set figures are far removed from production costs and current economic conditions, suggesting they primarily benefit monopolistic entities. Karan expressed concern over how elected officials who proposed lower prices would face producers, stating that farmers are considering not entering their fields due to the low prices.

"We do not accept this poverty price that protects monopolies, not the producer," declared Gökhan Şenyürek, provincial head of the NEW Party in Giresun. He characterized the 255 lira price as a "poverty price" that disregards the labor of producers. Şenyürek pointed out that the 27.5% increase from the previous year falls below Turkey's official inflation rate of 31.75%, according to TÜİK, effectively making producers poorer than last year. He sees this as a clear signal that the government has abandoned hazelnut farmers.

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We do not accept this poverty price that protects monopolies, not the producer.

Altınordu Chamber of Agriculture President Atakan Akça echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the high cost of production, particularly in sloped areas where mechanical farming is impossible and labor is intensive. With production costs around 230 lira, Akça stated that a 250 lira purchase price for Levant quality hazelnuts is effectively a "death sentence" for farmers in these regions. He stressed that the price does not reflect the year's labor and will create difficulties for both producers and the regional economy.

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With the cost of hazelnuts at 230 TL in an environment where the cost is 230 TL, announcing a price of 250 TL is signing the death warrant for farmers producing on inclined land.