Prospects are good for the Hungarian walnut season this year. The early varieties have started being harvested and this year's yield is higher, with a really outstanding quality, surpassing that of previous years.
This year the weather has been good for walnuts. More than six thousand hectares are planted in Hungary and a production of about 9.5 thousand tonnes is expected. It is a better situation than last year's, when wetter-than-average weather took a toll on the quality because of the spread of fungal and bacterial diseases.
Not a high percentage of the walnuts produced in Hungary are intended for export, but the quality is popular. Within the EU, France and Romania are the leading producers and exporters; however, Hungarian walnuts also have a great reputation. This is because of their nutritional value, sizes ranging between 32 to 34 millimetres in diameter and a predominance of premium category nuts. Exports are also good because of the early varieties, which are among the first to reach the European market.
Between late September and mid-October, early varieties hit the market ahead of their competition. 1,500-2,000 tonnes of shelled nuts are cleaned and exported, mainly to Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Great Britain and Italy.
Source: hirado.hu
