(Akyazi) As far as the eye can see, the hazelnut trees unroll their barely scorched leaves at the start of autumn. But under the damp foliage, anger roars against the giant of the spread.
The hazelnut producers of Turkey, the world’s largest exporter, denounce the control of their crops by the Italian Ferrero, accused of slashing prices.
“They have a monopoly, so a free hand. But they are buying even lower than last year. This year, I will not sell them anything, “warns Aydin Simsek, 43, watching out of the corner of his eye the dozen Kurdish collectors squatting who stuff the hazelnuts with handfuls in large canvas bags.
Wrapped up in her thick waistcoat and floral shawl, Serife Koyu spends a dozen hours a day in Akyazi (northeast), kneeling in the foliage despite her pregnancy already visible.
A working day paid 12 euros for this woman who came with her family from Diyarbakir (south-east) for the six weeks of harvest.
For Mehmet Sirin, 25, with the hood pulled up over his cap to keep out the drizzle, “it’s exploitation: the hazelnuts come back to us in the form of Nutella, but we get much less profit from them than them “.
“A pure injustice,” he adds, going back to work.
According to the FAO, the United Nations Agricultural Fund, Turkey provides about 70% of world production and 82% of exports, far ahead of Italy (20%) and a few countries which share the crumbs, including Azerbaijan, Georgia and Iran.
Of the 600 to 700,000 tonnes of hazelnuts collected, around 300,000 go for export: “How is it that only foreigners benefit from it? »Protested the president of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, Omer Demir.
“Damn, they buy them from us 22 to 23 pounds [environ 2 euros] the kilo and resell them for 23 dollars [20 euros] : how do we get there? We have to block their way. ”
Especially by providing tools and fertilizers to the peasants and by pre-paying for their harvest at a price fixed in advance, the main wholesalers, such as those who supply the Italian group, “leave no chance for the others,” he regrets. -he.
Because it’s true, no one can line up. Cabbar Saka recognizes this, he had no choice: “What could I do? I needed money for my daughter’s wedding… I sold my 1600 kg of hazelnuts to the wholesaler ”.
He received the money right away when the Agricultural Bureau (TMO, the public regulatory authority) paid him on installments.
“Not at this price”
Akyazi district has 5,500 registered producers. In front of the houses, the harvest dries in the open air on tarpaulins, a few days no more, constantly watching the sky to avoid the rains.
“Ferrero and the major players in the market are pulling prices down,” denounces Sener Bayraktar, the president of the local Chamber of Commerce, who accuses the Italian giant of inflating crop estimates to weigh on prices.
“But the fear of the producers, if they complain, it is not to be able to sell any more”, he notes.
“Ferrero has set up a system that leaves no chance” for local players, assures Mr. Bayraktar, who calls on the authorities to support independent players more frankly and the latter to raise their prices, to encourage producers to reserve their prices for them. Hazelnut.
Asked by AFP, the Italian giant defends itself: “We do not buy directly from producers, we go through a network of buyers and specialized suppliers. […] while respecting the laws of the market and its dynamics ”, explains a spokesperson from the head office, who reminds us that Ferrero has been present in Turkey for more than 35 years.
As the Turkish supply of raw materials is essential for the production of Nutella and rocks, in 2014 the group created a local subsidiary, Ferrero Findik (hazelnuts, in Turkish) which manages six processing plants (washing, shelling and roasting) and a Nutella production site.
In 2014, the group also bought out the king of hazelnuts, Oltan, which finally gave it control of the market and prices.
To support the producers of hazelnuts -76,500 registered-the Ministry of Agriculture urges them to engage in the transformation of the product themselves instead of only selling their raw material, which would ensure them a better income.
Last year, Aydin Simsek sold his entire crop to Ferrero. This year, he plans to reserve it in full, 15 tonnes he hopes, at the TMO. “When Ferrero acts in good faith, I too will be happy to eat Nutella. But not at this price. ”