With a major share of world hazelnut production and market, Turkey sold the largest amount of hazelnuts to Germany during the export period of 2017-2018, the alrgest us it has been in the last nine seasons.

According to the Black Sea Hazelnut and Products Exporters' Union (KFMİB), Turkey exported 286,777 tons of hazelnuts to 119 countries last season, generating $1.8 billion in revenue.

Germany led the way among the countries to which Turkey exported hazelnuts in the period running from Sept. 1, 2017 to Aug. 31, 2018.

Turkey sold 69,901 tons of hazelnuts to Germany last season, generating $424.9 million in foreign currency from these German sales.

Italy followed Germany with 57.379 tons of hazelnut exports, corresponding to $357.3 million in revenue, while France ranked third with 20,042 tons of hazelnuts, amounting to $124.5 million in foreign currency inflow.

Meanwhile, in the 2016-2017 season, Germany, Italy and France were also the top three countries for Turkish hazelnut exports.

Last year, Turkey exported the least amount of hazelnuts to Rwanda - only 10 kilograms, with a revenue of $104, followed by Nigeria with 20 kilograms and Ghana with 25 kilograms, respectively.

As in previous seasons, Turkey sold hazelnuts mainly to European countries in the 2017-2018 period.

KFMİB Chairman İlyas Edip Sevinç said that $1.8 billion was generated in foreign currency inflow for 286,777 tons of hazelnut exports last season, adding that these figures are in line with initial estimates.

Sevinç noted that there was an increase of 22 percent in tonnage in the last export period compared to the previous season. "It is very promising that exports on a tonnage basis, to which we attach a great deal of importance, rose by 22 percent compared to the previous season as the indicator of Turkish hazelnut consumption on the external market," Sevinç added.