Everyone loves the Hungarian walnut

The Hungarian walnut can be exported to any country without boundaries, because it has a very high quality, and thanks to the specific types that grow early the Hungarian walnut yields before any other type, magyaridok.hu writes.

Exporting walnut is a good investment in the long run, as many investors have already realized, and thanks to the earlier plantings, the amount of walnut grown in Hungary can be doubled in three to five years. Ferenc Ledó, director of the Hungarian Interprofessional Organisation for Fruit and Vegetables (FruitVeb), said that Hungary has almost 10 000 hectares of walnut plantations, and most of them are relatively modern. The expert said that technology is constantly changing, and instead of using small rooted plants they are using grafts now, which means that, instead of nine years, a tree will yield after just five years.

Investing in walnut is also worth in the long run, as the Hungarian product can be sold almost everywhere. Last year’s weather was excellent and farmers had a great harvest. One of the biggest advantages of the Hungarian walnut is that it yields earlier than any of the other types, and it can be sold as early as September; also their quality is better than the American or the Italian walnut’s, Ledó added.

Hungary usually produces approximately 6,000 tons of walnut every year, and most of it is sold abroad, the biggest buyers being France, Germany, and Great Britain. Currently, the exported walnut is sold in three forms: with the shells still on, without the shells, and ground. According to Ledó, most of the exported walnut is sold with the shells still on, because this is the best way to keep the nuts fresh. A couple of Hungarian associations are already working on different cracking and cleaning devices, because most of the nuts imported by Hungary also comes with their shells still on, Ledó added. A big part of it is used in confectionary, where the size and shape doesn’t really matter.

According the report of the Research Institute of Agricultural Economics (AKI), walnut is the only hard shelled product in Hungary which is positively received abroad. Last year more than 2,000 tons of shelled nut was exported (which is a 3% decline regarding previous years) that is worth 1,84 billion HUF. However, the prices have gone up; the cost of a kg nut was 13% higher in 2015 than in the previous year, and it reached 3000 HUF/kg.

According to AKI, most of the shelled nuts are sold in the year they are harvested, while the kernels are sold between November and next spring. Most of the walnuts are exported, and not many are sold in Hungary. Most families usually buy nuts seasonally, during Christmas and Easter, to make cakes and cookies. Researchers emphasize that everyone should eat some nuts on a daily basis, because it’s beneficial for the blood’s cholesterol level and lowers the risk of coronary heart diseases.

Copy editor: bm

Source: magyaridok.hu