News
27.10.2017
Ukraine became one of the three largest exporters of walnuts
As a result of 2016, Ukraine exported 27 thous. tons of peeled nuts to the amount of USD 65 million.
China and the United States are the world leaders in the walnut production (inshell walnuts) with their shares of 50% and 29% respectively. EU-28 (together), Chile and Ukraine with their shares of 5% take the third place. Ukraine produces about 110 thous. tons of nuts - the same volume as EU-28 countries together.
For today, Asian market is the main market for Ukrainian walnuts. The export to the EU is also growing steadily over the past 5 years. Peeled walnuts are the main export position to European countries. The supplies of this product increased by 16% during this period, and in 2016 the exports amounted to almost 7 thous. tons, which in monetary terms is USD 25 million. Thus, Ukraine is the fourth largest supplier of nuts to the EU, second only to the USA, Moldova and Chile.
“The main problem of the walnut export is the heterogeneity of the supply batches and, accordingly, their price, - commented Daria Grytsenko, analyst of agricultural markets of the Association “Ukrainian Agribusiness Club”. - More than 90% of nuts are grown by households and then collected and formed into export consignment. Such nuts are unsorted and considerably inferior to the external characteristics of American and Chilean nuts. For increasing the export of nuts, it is necessary to expand the area under industrial plantations and grow nuts, which are suitable for further processing and export.
