Export Potential for Georgian Hazelnut

Georgian hazelnuts and walnuts traditionally maintain a position among the top ten goods exported from Georgia. In the first half of 2007, these products ranked ninth. They account for approximately 3.4% of Georgian exports. In the last six months of 2007, exportation of these goods significantly declined from the previous year. However, they still cover 5-7% of the world’s nut market. Nearly 18,627 million USD of nuts are exported from Georgia every year. In 2006, the amount neared 25,591 million USD. Its export share equaled 5.6%. There has been consistent growth of nut production since the 1990s. Since then, nut production has grown 5% annually.

Are there prospects of further development? Experts reckon that in terms of nut sales volume, Georgia will not become a market leader in the world; but if we consider that Georgia’s land is exceptionally fertile and the largest portion of cultivated nuts is exported, we can certainly say that some prospects exist. [More]