Record crop for U.S. hazelnut industry
Pacific Northwest hazelnut orchards are projecting a bountiful — potentially historic — crop this fall. The Hazelnut Marketing Board’s recently completed annual Subjective Yield Survey projects a crop yield of approximately 59,000 tons, approximately 30 percent higher than the 2019 crop.
“We’ve been anticipating a spike in yield,” said Juli Jones, grower relations director, Hazelnut Marketing Board. “Acreage has tripled over the past decade, and now thousands of those new acres are beginning to reach nut-bearing age. The industry is well-positioned to meet the surge in hazelnut demand from foodservice, food manufacturers and consumers.”
Jones also points out that the Subjective Yield Survey is only a guiding estimate and not an exact science. The results of the annual survey should be viewed as an approximation, not a guarantee.
The Subjective Yield Survey was distributed in mid-July to hazelnut farmers. The survey called on growers to provide a projection on what the expected yield will be based on how hazelnut trees were faring at the time of the survey. The collected data was then cross-referenced with field mapping statistics fromPacific Ag Survey, per their December 2018 report. In late August, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is expected to release its Objective Yield Survey, providing one more layer of data to tighten crop estimates.
Oregon grows 99 percent of the U.S. hazelnut crop and 5 percent of the world crop. Hazelnuts are a major source of income for the state of Oregon, valued at $75-100 million annually, which translates to a total economic impact of more than $150 million.
Oregon boasts an ideal climate for growing the world’s highest quality hazelnuts. Temperate ocean, mountain and river climates meet with rich volcanic soils to create a prime growing environment. The industry continues to expand, with new trees being planted each year in the Willamette Valley.
