A worldwide shortage of hazelnuts this year is sending big buyers to Oregon hazelnut orchards to fill the void.
A worldwide shortage of hazelnuts this year is sending big buyers to Oregon hazelnut orchards to fill the void.
Nine counties in Oregon are home to 97 percent of all hazelnut orchards in the U.S., according to the USDA.
This past week, Doug Olsen, a hazelnut farmer and president of the Hazelnut Growers Bargaining Association, and the bargaining association set a record minimum price for hazelnuts at $1.70 a pound, eclipsing the record-setting price last year by 55 cents. That increase is so large that distributors this season will be paying farmers in segments: $1.35 a pound now as harvesting picks up, with the rest to be paid out in May.
“It’s a big financial commitment for these guys,” Olsen said of the distributors. “We’re talking millions and millions of dollars they need to come up with in 45 days.”
Read more at Statesman Journal
