21 May 2015

Demirören News Agency

 

Cuneyd Zapsu complained about the high price of hazelnuts. Cüneyd Zapsu, a member of the executive board of the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, stated that 15 liras were paid to the villagers for unshelled hazelnuts, said that ‘the Hazelnut villager is not satisfied, no one try to explain me’

Cuneyd Zapsu complained about high hazelnut price

Cüneyd Zapsu, a member of the executive board of the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, stated that 15 liras were paid to the villager for the unshelled hazelnut, said that ‘the hazelnut villagers are not satisfied no one try to explain me. Nobody should be satisfied with the high prices of hazelnuts, including me’.

Organized by the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (INC) for the 34th time this year, ‘The World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress’ will start tomorrow in Antalya. In the opening session of the congress, which will last until Sunday, the Minister of Economy, Nihat Zeybekci will take part, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will take part in the closing session, and will host names such as Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent and the founder of Chobani Yoghurts Hamdi Ulukaya.

Prior to the congress, marked as the biggest meeting of the industry with the participation of approximately thousand delegates from 61 countries from Burkina Faso to Korea, Malawi to Mexico, a press conference was held participation of INC President Giles Hacking, INC Executive Director Goretti Guasch and INC Executive Board Member and Congress Chairman Cüneyd Zapsu

A 40 BILLION DOLLAR MARKET

INC President Hacking mentioned that they feel a great satisfaction from Turkey’s being a big part of INC. Hacking noted that Turkey, with its production volume and product range, is one of the indispensable actors in the sector, and said ‘70% of the companies operating in this market are member of the INC. Our members represent a $ 40 billion market.

FIGHTING OBESITY

INC Executive Director Goretti Guasch stated that the nut market grew by 25% in 2014 compared to the previous year and reached a supply value of 33.7 billion dollars, while the dried fruit market grew by 5% from 2013 to 2014 and reached a value of 7.4 billion dollars.

Guasch stated that they are working together with scientists to investigate the effects of nut and dried fruit consumption on human health. Guasch stated that dried fruits and nuts play a very important role in the fight against obesity, which affects more and more people every day and is estimated to damage the world economy by 2 trillion dollars and said, ‘Consumption of nuts and dried fruits, which are considered the healthiest snacks makes a great contribution to the prevention and treatment of diseases such as heart attack, diabetes and cancer, especially obesity. We increased the fund, which we allocate as 300 thousand Euros every year, to 500 thousand Euros this year in order to encourage scientists who research the benefits of nuts and dried fruits on human health. We will also announce the winning research of this year on the closing day of the congress.

DRIED NUTS EXTENDS LIFE

Goretti Guasch explained that according to the results of a study that lasted for 7 years and carried out on 7,500 subjects, it was determined that the mortality rate of those who consumed nuts and dried fruits was much lower than those who did not. Guasch said that the effects of nut and dried fruit consumption on both mortality and health in a study that lasted 15 years on 165 thousand subjects, which was completed this year by Harvard Medicine, said that the effects on health were at an extremely gratifying level.

‘A HANDFUL OF HAZELNUT CAMPAIGN IS RUBBISH’

Cüneyd Zapsu, INC Executive Board Member and Congress President, said that the 22-person board of INC, where the world nut and dried fruit industry meets, includes 3 Turkish representatives from different sectors. While Zapsu explained the work of INC as ‘There are many things that taste good, there are few things that are healthy at the same time’ and summarized, ‘it was not a rubbish issue like a handful of hazelnut campaign, whereas it’s a very serious issue.’

DRIED NUTS IN TURKEY WITH FIGURES

Stating that Turkey is not only just participating in the sector as the world’s largest producer of hazelnuts but also, it’s in the position of leading producer country in dry fruit production, Zapsu said Turkey is the largest producer in the world after the USA in the dried nuts sector. Zapsu said, ‘We became the world’s second largest producer country with 336 thousand tons of nut production we implemented in 2014-2015 period. He also said that with the production of 406 million tons in the same period, we became the largest dried fruit producer in the world.

Zapsu underlined that Turkey is also just behind the USA with the 4500 tons of walnut production. Pointing out that the 62% increase in walnut production in Turkey in the last 10 years, Zapsu stated that despite the fact that Turkey gets through the year under the influence of cold air, with its 240 thousand tons production, it represents 71% of world hazelnut production. Zapsu noted that with its 163 thousand tons of hazelnut export, Turkey is the world’s leading exporter with a 66% share among the world’s hazelnut exporters.

Stating that Turkey has become the leading producer by increasing the raisin production up to 35% in the last 10 years and had a share of 24% the world raisins production with 328 tons, Zapsu commented about Turkey’s nuts and dried fruit market: ‘In addition, in 2013 we represent 81% of the apricot export in the world with 109 thousand tons and Turkey is the world’s most apricot consuming country. We, as a country, represent 56% of the world’s dried fig production with an annual production capacity of 70 thousand tons. Although we have a share of 64% in global dried fig exports, it is among the striking points that we are the one of the countries that consume the least dried figs. ‘

HAZELNUT IS EXPENSIVE

About the hazelnut consumption in Turkey, Zapsu compared with Italy, sitting in the second place with ​​37 thousand tones, ‘Italy’s production is roughly nine to one comparing Turkey’s. But on the other hand, per capita consumption in Italy is 1.5 kilograms and ours is around 650 grams.

Stating that hazelnut is used as an additive, a semi-product more than 90% all around the world, Zapsu said ‘until the recent years increase in Turkey was going very well. Approximately 125 thousand tons of unshelled hazelnuts were started to be consumed 1.5 years ago. For 2014, 125 thousand tons of consumption fell to 75 thousand tons. The reason is that it set back.”

‘NOBODY SHOULD BE SATISFIED WITH THIS HIGH HAZELNUT PRICE’

Zapsu said that the allegation of intermediaries is a legend, especially regarding the rising prices of hazelnuts. Stating that the intermediary payment is currently 15 liras for the unshelled hazelnut, Zapsu said that the price per kilogram of hazelnuts separated from the shell is 30 liras. Stating that this figure has passed into the hands of the villagers, Zapsu said that: ‘the hazelnut villagers are not satisfied nobody try to explain me. ‘They are harvesting it for cheap and so on” was valid for a period of time. But if a villager can sell for 15 liras, ask for the cost. The highest costs are given by the Chambers of Agriculture. I won’t say. Nobody should be satisfied with this high hazelnut prices, including me. When too much profit appears, we create rivals for ourselves. 40 thousand tons of hazelnuts are sent from Georgia. More dangerous opponents are coming.

Stating that the biggest reason for the price increase is the production of unshelled hazelnuts from 800 thousand tons to 480 thousand tons, Zapsu said, ‘There is no goods. There are substitute goods. We may not buy it, but an industrialist has to buy it.

Source: https: //www.haberler.com/antalya-cuneyd-zapsu-yuksek-findik-fiyatindan-7334344-haberi/