The event counted on the presence of a number of experts, growers, exporters and government officials, including the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Ministry of Agriculture of Ukraine, to debate about the development of the nut industry in Ukraine, especially walnuts and hazelnuts. INC Senator, Mr. Hubert Berrebi attended the event.
Conference topics included research and development of walnut varieties, economics of planting, the work of the Ukrainian Nut Association, and prospects and opportunities for the financial support of nut growers.
The Ukrainian Nut Association was registered in the Justice Ministry of Ukraine in late 2008. Its main goal is the development of the nut industry in Ukraine. Main priorities include research in new varieties (institutes, botanical gardens and arboreta), advanced technologies, nurseries (walnut, hazelnut, almond and chestnut) and plantations. Special attention is given to harvesting, storage, processing (nut kernels, oil, canned food, beverages and briquettes), marketing and exportation. Today the association is represented by 23 affiliated branches in Ukraine and by representatives in Europe, Middle East, Chile and USA.
The association estimates that there were more than 8,000 hectares of walnut and 1,200 ha of hazelnut planted, and expects the country to plant 2,500 additional hectares in 2017, of which 1,520 ha are of walnut; 890 ha of hazelnut; 40 ha of almond.