Possible Effects of Licensed Warehousing System on Hazelnut Producers’ Incomes in Türkiye

Hazelnut producers in Türkiye tend to sell hazelnuts immediately after harvest. However, since hazelnut prices are very low at harvest time, this situation negatively affects producer incomes. This study aims to reveal the effects of the licensed warehouses established in Türkiye and the government’s support for encouraging licensed warehouses on the incomes of hazelnut producers. In the study, the profitability coefficient was calculated using 14-year time series data of hazelnut prices. The study result showed that storing hazelnuts in licensed warehouses without any support and exemption contributed 10% to producer incomes. It was also determined that producer incomes would increase by 22% as a result of the support and exemption policies implemented by the government for hazelnut production. It was concluded that keeping hazelnuts in the licensed warehouse and selling them in the following months positively affects producer incomes even without support and exemptions. For this reason, instead of selling hazelnuts immediately, producers are recommended to keep their products in licensed warehouses and sell them in the following months. The support system should be continued in a planned manner until the licensed warehousing system in Türkiye reaches a level where it can function on its own.