Chestnuts: season starts in Turkey
November 19, 2025 at 2:46 PM ,
Der AUDITOR
The 2025 crop could be significantly larger
The chestnut season has begun in Turkey. The harvest usually starts in the second half of October and lasts around ten days. Exports then begin at the start of November. Last year, 74,300 mt of chestnuts were harvested in Turkey, of which around 24,315 mt came from the main growing region of Aydin, where around a third of Turkey's chestnut trees are cultivated. The official results for the 2025 crop are still pending, but there are rumours in the market that production has increased by around 40% compared to last year.
In the third week of October, chestnut trading began on the Turkish commodity exchanges. As with other dried fruit and nuts, this took place with the symbolic sale of the first kilogram at a value of TRY 550. Between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2025, 12,157 mt of chestnuts were registered on the commodity exchanges in Turkey. These quantities are exported, while sales on the domestic market are not registered there. On average, commodity prices on the exchanges were quoted at a level of TRY 121.55/kg.
Chestnuts are not marketed throughout the year in Turkey; the period is limited to around 2-3 months. As a result, the majority of exports take place in the winter months after the harvest. Between October and September of the 2024/2025 season, a total of 6,995 mt worth USD 17.89 million was shipped overseas, with 5,860 mt of this being exported in the last few weeks of the previous calendar year.
EU increases imports by 16%
Since the beginning of the year (01/01-16/11/2025), the EU has imported a total of 9,822 mt of chestnuts worth EUR 22.690 from third countries. In the same period last year, imports amounted to 8,454 mt worth EUR 19.068 million. With 5,661 mt, 57.6% of shipments came from Chile, followed by Turkey (1,267 mt) and China (1,064 mt). The main buyers within the EU are Spain (+50.5% to 3,040 mt), Italy (+27.1% to 2,580 mt) and Portugal (+88.9% to 1,670 mt).
EU exports of chestnuts amounted to 6,365 mt worth EUR 31.144 million, compared with 6,506 mt worth EUR 34.356 million in the same period last year. The most important exporter is Italy, whose shipments of 4,310 mt account for 67.7% of total exports. It is followed by Portugal (731 mt), Greece (562 mt) and Spain (301 mt). The main buyers are Switzerland (2,176 mt) and the USA (1,241 mt), as well as the UK, Brazil and Canada.
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EU chestnut imports, in mt |
|||
|
Partner |
2024 |
2025 |
Diff. |
|
Chile |
4,016 |
5,661 |
41.0% |
|
Turkey |
970 |
1,267 |
30.6% |
|
China |
2,027 |
1,064 |
-47.5% |
|
Albania |
808 |
992 |
22.8% |
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
106 |
546 |
415.1% |
|
Others |
527 |
292 |
-44.6% |
|
Total |
8,454 |
9,822 |
16.2% |
|
DG AGRI TAXUD Customs Surveillance System, 01/01-16/11 08024200+08024100 Fresh or dried chestnuts "Castanea spp.", shelled+ inshell |
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