Chestnuts: new season begins amid price pressure
September 16, 2026 at 12:58 PM ,
Der AUDITOR
Yunnan kicks off the season
The new season for Chinese chestnuts has officially begun. In Yunnan, the region that is the first to start marketing its produce each year, the harvest is currently in full swing. Production there is expected to remain largely unchanged from last year. At the same time, producer prices remain under pressure. In addition to carry-over stocks from last season, the general supply and demand situation is also having an impact. In some regions, prices have fallen to around a third of last year’s levels, according to FreshPlaza.
Shandong and Hebei follow
Over the next days, the new crops from China’s two key premium growing regions are expected: the Yanshan Mountains in Hebei and the Taishan Mountains in Shandong. With the arrival of this high-quality produce, the range on offer is likely to become even more diverse and competition between the growing regions is set to increase. According to Mr Sun, sales manager at the major Chinese chestnut exporter Tai’an Yihang Food, buyers are currently monitoring developments closely.
Whilst low commodity prices offer wholesalers of roasted nuts and dried fruit significant purchasing advantages, confidence in the market remains low following last season’s fluctuations. According to Sun, most traders are therefore holding back from building up larger stocks. Yunnan chestnuts are particularly well established in South-East Asia and are traded in Vietnam and Thailand, amongst other countries.
Quality is becoming increasingly important in overseas markets
According to Sun, many smaller traders and consumers in Vietnam focus primarily on the purchase price and sometimes find it difficult to distinguish between differences in taste, quality and origin. As a result, Sun says, chestnuts of different origins and quality grades are sometimes mixed together or marketed as premium produce from Shandong or Hebei. At the same time, interest in high-quality chestnuts from the main growing regions of Yanshan and Taishan is on the rise. Demand for products with better flavour and higher quality is also growing in the Middle East and South Korea.
Increased demand for processed products
The product range is also becoming more diverse. Whilst foreign markets used to buy mainly fresh in-shell chestnuts, demand for processed products has also been rising for around two years. As Sun told FreshPlaza, enquiries and orders for frozen chestnut kernels, frozen opened chestnuts and shelled fresh chestnuts continue to increase. Fresh and processed products are therefore developing in parallel.
EU imports on the rise
Between 1 January and 13 September 2026, the EU imported a total of 7,588 mt of shelled and in-shell chestnuts, which is just over 10% more than the 6,892 mt imported during the same period last year. Chile is by far the most important supplier, accounting for the lion’s share with 6,304 mt and increasing its shipments to the EU by 11.4% compared with last year. Turkey follows in second place (+42% to 937 mt). China ranks third among the EU’s main suppliers but suffered heavy losses compared with 2025 (-39.9% to 341 mt).
The largest buyer within the EU during the period mentioned was Spain, followed by Portugal and Italy. The average import price stood at EUR 2.40/kg, 3.6% below last year’s figure of EUR 2.49/kg. The total value of imports during the period in question thus amounted to just over EUR 18.184 million.
|
EU chestnut imports, in mt |
|||
|
Partner |
2025 |
2026 |
Diff. |
|
Chile |
5,661 |
6,304 |
11.4% |
|
Turkey |
660 |
937 |
42.0% |
|
China |
567 |
341 |
-39.9% |
|
Brazil |
- |
5 |
n/a |
|
Hong Kong |
2 |
1 |
-50.0% |
|
Others |
2 |
0 |
-100.0% |
|
Total |
6,892 |
7,588 |
10.1% |
|
DG AGRI TAXUD Customs Surveillance System, 01/01-13/09 08024200+08024100 Fresh or dried chestnuts "Castanea spp.", shelled+ inshell |
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