Ukrainian walnuts can compete with European ones: experts on industry prospects
5 October 10:12
In 2024-2025, Ukraine ranked 4th in the world in walnut production, having grown approximately 101 thousand tons, behind only China, the United States, and Chile, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing EastFruit.
According to experts, walnuts can become the flagship product of Ukraine’s agricultural integration into the EU. This is stated in a study by the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) “Nut Industry of Ukraine”. Analysts noted that in 2023, exports of Ukrainian walnuts were estimated at $77 million.
At the same time, the industry has just begun to commercialize. So far, it has been rather informal – more than 95% of walnuts are grown in private households.
“This is a unique production model, completely opposite to, for example, the American one, which uses large industrial gardens in the United States,” the experts noted.
According to KSE researchers, support from the government and donors can significantly expand the industry. For example, the eRobota grant program, which covers up to 70% of the costs of establishing orchards, has already invested billions of hryvnias in nut crops, making them one of the most supported horticultural sectors. The optimistic outlook for expansion is based on previous experience, when almost 6 thousand hectares of new orchards were planted with state subsidies in 2018-2023.
According to SEEDS, analysts also drew attention to the fact that the export value of nuts increases by about 4 times due to processing. Peeled nuts are sold almost four times more expensive than unpeeled ones, and in 2023, 72% of Ukrainian walnut exports were formed by them. The main sales markets are the EU (58% of revenue) and Turkey.
“Walnut is one of the most promising export crops in Ukraine. It can become the flagship product of Ukraine’s agricultural integration into the EU. Even despite the war, fragmented production and political challenges, our producers are able to compete with the leading European ones. To do this, we need to provide entrepreneurs with seedlings and advice. At the same time, we need to bring the industry in line with EU requirements,” KSE noted.
According to the researchers, in order to accelerate the development of the sector and increase exporters’ profits, two problems must be solved first: the shortage of quality seedlings and low production and storage standards that affect the quality of the product.
Experts noted that importing seedlings will not solve the first problem. Seedlings imported from France and Moldova mostly do not take root well on Ukrainian soil. Another issue is mold and toxins, which are formed as a result of uneven drying or improper storage and are a key barrier to improving the efficiency of the industry and deeper integration into the EU.
