The Ideal walnut, bred in the middle of the last century, became one of the first Soviet varieties of this crop. From trees traditionally cultivated in the southern regions walnut Huge harvests amounting to hundreds of kilograms were collected. But the varieties available to gardeners were very heat-loving, tall and grew for a long time before reaching fruiting time. To expand the walnut growing area, simplify agricultural technology and speed up harvesting, new varieties were needed.
Scientists from the Uzbek SSR successfully completed this task in 1947. In Fergana, breeders managed to obtain hardy, early-ripening plants with high yields and excellent quality of ripe nuts. Created by S.S. Kalmykov walnut variety The ideal for many gardeners is really close to perfection.
Description of the walnut variety Ideal
Ideal differs from most southern varieties in its high precocity, short stature and increased frost resistance.
On average, mature trees reach only 4–5 meters in height, which is 1.5–2 times less than other varieties. The first ovaries on still young plants appear already 2–3 years after planting, and the Ideal walnut reaches a stable yield by 5–7 years.
As befits a walnut, the bark on the standard part of the trees has a pronounced grayish-brown tint. Skeletal branches and fruiting shoots are covered with brown bark, and young growth is green in color with a distinct bluish tint. The leaves of this valuable garden crop are large, dense, dissected into several unpaired, oval-pointed parts.
The first flowering of Ideal walnut seedlings occurs in the second or third year. In the same season, after the greenish-white small flowers collected in racemes are pollinated by the wind, the first ovaries form on the branches.
The peculiarity of the crop is dioecious flowers and the presence of a second wave of flowering, which in good years helps to obtain two harvests of excellent nuts at once.
The reappearance of flower racemes, according to the description of the Ideal walnut variety, begins 7–15 days after the first, most massive wave and does not end until autumn. If delicate flower buds are damaged by frost in the spring, the gardener does not have to worry about the harvest. Not as plentiful, but it will definitely be there.
The ripening of large, oval fruits, covered with a dense green shell, begins in September and lasts until the end of October. The average weight of an Ideal walnut is 8–11 grams. The shell is a light beige color and quite thin. After drying, it easily splits, releasing a kernel with excellent taste, high protein and fat content. During a season, you can get up to 100–120 kg of selected nuts from a large tree.
The advantages of the variety include:
- early entry into the fruiting season;
- decent yield;
- compact dimensions;
- frost resistance, allowing you to withstand winter temperatures of up to 30–35 °C without serious losses.
Ideally no special soil mixtures are needed. Plants acclimatize well and grow in soil with a high content of salts and acids.
The only limitation that needs to be taken into account when transferring a seedling into the ground is the proximity groundwater. They are extremely undesirable for a walnut tree with a taproot structure.
Features of planting and growing walnuts of the Ideal variety
Ideal walnuts are propagated by seeds and grafted seedlings with a life span of 1–2 years. The second method is preferable, since seedlings, although more unpretentious and hardy, do not always retain their parental traits, especially if there was the possibility of cross-pollination from a plant of a different variety.
If a walnut seedling is grown on the site, it should be grafted with a varietal cutting. Kidney grafting is less reliable due to the risk of freezing.
For sowing, healthy nuts are selected, which are pre-stratified for 30–45 days, and then, in spring or early autumn, transferred to prepared soil. Young trees are also planted in spring or autumn, a month before the probable cold weather arrives. In the first year of life, the Ideal walnut grows very reluctantly, but after wintering it very actively increases in growth, reaching 1–1.3 meters in height by autumn.
For planting, choose a sunny area where the tree will not be disturbed by the crowns of other crops. A spreading tree already from the first year needs shaping, which is carried out in such a way that:
- each branch of the crown had enough sun;
- the entire crown was ventilated;
- pollination of flower clusters was not interfered with by castings and shoots growing inwards.
With proper care, the Ideal walnut produces high yields and a magnificent appearance for 40 to 50 years. This is somewhat less than that of its southern counterparts, but this is the price the variety pays for its compactness and the ability to grow even in the Black Earth Region, the Volga region and middle lane Russia.
Comparison of Ideal nut with other varieties - video
Interest in walnut farming as a profitable business is growing. Director of the Institute of Nut Crops Vitaly Radko talks about the features of this segment.
- What trends in the field of walnut farming can you note?
Walnut farming in Ukraine, despite the existing problems in the state, is developing, not least thanks to the purchase price for nuts, which remains at the level of 150 UAH, which encourages farmers to pay attention to this crop as a source of main or additional income. Unfortunately, so far 95% of the nut harvest is collected in the private sector. I would like to believe that the situation will change soon, because the demand in domestic and foreign markets is very high.
- What can you name as the main obstacles to the development of walnut farming?
Financial questions. Calculate for yourself, for 1 hectare you need initial stage spend at least 80-100 thousand UAH, of which 50 thousand UAH should be paid immediately. If you add the cost of irrigation, then this is another $1-1.5 thousand/ha. Add the cost of maintenance in the first 4-5 years, until the garden begins to fully bear fruit, and you will feel how high the threshold for “entry” into the business is.
The walnut farmer cannot take out a loan from a bank because he needs to pay interest and there is no working capital. No bank will defer payments for 5 years. Of course we hope for state support. New programs initiated by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy could somehow solve the issue of financing the industry.
Producers complain that the limiting factor in growing walnut plantations is not so much the cost of planting as the lack of quality planting material on the market. This is true?
According to my data, Ukraine produces about 150-200 thousand seedlings per year, imports 30-50 thousand per year. If you compare prices, an imported seedling costs € 11-16/piece. The main supplier of walnut seedlings to the Ukrainian market is Moldova. Their seedlings are of good quality, but the cost somewhat offsets the profit. Seedlings are also imported from France, but they do not take root well in Ukraine. The price of Ukrainian seedlings is 300-320 UAH/piece.
- Why so expensive? Due to high demand? 
You correctly noted that in Ukraine there is a relatively low supply of quality seedlings. With the fact that the price is Lately grown up, I disagree. The euro exchange rate has risen, and the domestic price has also risen. And the price was €10-15 2-3 seasons ago.
- What is better - to patriotically buy seedlings in Ukraine, or to import them?
The most appropriate thing is to establish modern nut nurseries in Ukraine in order to increase the resources of existing ones.
There is great interest in creating queen cells, but from a technological point of view it is difficult to plant them. First, you need to grow seedlings with a specific root system in a specific growing area (zoned varieties). Secondly, you need a high-quality rootstock, which is difficult to find in Ukraine. Third, it’s a matter of time - if we establish a mother garden in Ukraine, we will receive rootstocks only in 5-6 years. Until they live, several more years will pass - in total, 7-8 years. The market will not wait for that much product.
If you are starting new industrial walnut orchards, on what number of hectares is it advisable to start?
Everything is individual. It is difficult to recommend someone to start a plantation of 20 hectares if the funds are only enough for 1 hectare. At the same time, if there is 2 hectares of personal peasant farming, then it is not practical to switch directly to industrial production, which requires mechanized harvesting. The most optimal economy starts with 10 hectares of walnut plantations. Massifs of more than 50 hectares also deserve attention, but you need to be careful here. For example, in the Dnepropetrovsk region, a walnut orchard with an area of 500-600 hectares was established, and it had to be uprooted due to the spread of fungal diseases on the trees, against which plant protection products were powerless.
- What is the average walnut yield in Ukraine? How does it compare with European and global indicators?
There are few orchards producing commercial fruit in Ukraine, so there are also problems in terms of productivity. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the average nut yield in the country is 7 t/ha, however, this statistics is very arbitrary, because most of the crops are grown on household farms, so we are not talking about accurate accounting of areas and yields. In reality, the normal yield of a walnut orchard in Ukraine is 2-2.5 t/ha, sometimes we have record holders who receive 6-7 and even 8 t/ha. Abroad, walnut yields vary depending on climatic conditions and varieties. In California, 7 t/ha of nuts are harvested, in France - 5-6 t/ha, in Moldova - 3-3.5 t/ha.
- Which regions, according to your observations, are the most suitable for the development of walnut farming?
There are a number of criteria for planting a walnut orchard, including temperature, precipitation, groundwater level, and soil acidity. It is impossible to clearly identify any area. The largest number of plantings and leadership in walnut growing are now in the Chernivtsi, Khmelnitsky, Odessa and partially Nikolaev regions. Chernihiv region, Slobozhanshchina, Dnepropetrovsk region are risky walnut growing zones. There is a pronounced continental climate here - moderate frosts, sudden temperature changes, which walnut categorically does not accept. Last year's frost of -5 0 C caused irreparable damage to 50-60% of plantings in some regions.
Regarding the practical aspects of cultivation. What do plantation owners most often have to struggle with?
First of all, the safety of seedlings: our people sometimes have a “mentality” - if an entrepreneur has planted a walnut orchard, then he has high-quality seedlings and you can take “a little” home. Sometimes it happens that people plant 30-70 hectares and literally after 2-3 weeks 30% of the seedlings disappear in an unknown direction. The owners no longer have enough money to hire security - after all, in addition to wages, it is necessary to create living conditions for the security guards, buy dogs and the like.
Another nuance is the type of planting of the garden and, accordingly, its fruiting. In Ukraine, apical planting is practiced - the nut grows along the perimeter. But in California, the lateral type of planting is common - around the perimeter and inside. With this scheme, thanks to special pruning, the nuts can be encouraged to grow and intensify. If mass pruning is carried out in Ukraine, then next year the owners will not reap the harvest, so it is carried out 4-5 years after planting, and adult trees are subjected only to sanitary pruning.
The nut, whatever one may say, needs additional hydration. If this is ensured, it is possible to increase the overall yield, kernel fullness, and minimize diseases. The type of irrigation must be chosen carefully. Conventional drip irrigation for walnuts is technologically difficult to apply - moisture, if it gets on one side of the tree, is not transferred by the roots to the other side, so on one side the plant will be waterlogged, and on the other it will dry out. Therefore, when installing systems, it is extremely necessary to use the advice of specialists.
Nowadays there is a lot of talk about the fact that greater profitability can be obtained in the production of hazelnuts. Is this true?
Economic calculations show that walnuts and hazelnuts have approximately the same profitability. Usually there is a difference between technology and start-up capital, but the total costs are the same. Judge for yourself - a walnut according to the 10 * 10 scheme is one hundred seedlings at a price of 35,000 UAH, the price of one hazelnut seedling, depending on the variety and origin, is 80-100 UAH, 35-40 seedlings are needed for 1 hectare, so the cost of planting virtually equal to a walnut garden. The maintenance and technological care of hazelnuts in their natural (technological) form differ, but the cost is approximately the same $400/ha. Now let’s compare the revenue - walnuts give a yield of 3 t/ha, if you multiply them by 40% of the yield at a price of 120 UAH/kg and this will give 144 thousand UAH/ha, hazelnuts also have a yield of 2 t/ha, and not peeled, directly from the field, costs approximately 70-80 UAH/kg, which in monetary terms is approximately 150 thousand UAH/ha. That is, I cannot say unequivocally that hazelnuts are profitable.
- What other types of nuts may become popular among producers in the near future?
We calculated the profitability of black walnuts and pecans - these are interesting and profitable products. Their supply on the market is very limited. However, in Ukraine there is neither experience in growing them nor normal technology. Among other things, there is an implementation problem - you need to provide a certificate of origin, which no one can currently issue to the manufacturer. There are problems with walnuts here, not to mention pecans and black nuts, which are essentially wild plants. Therefore, from an administrative point of view, introducing new varieties of nuts into the culture is a difficult issue.
How satisfied is domestic demand for nuts? Are Ukrainian products competitive on the international market?
According to standards, a person should consume 26 kg/year. Ukrainians consume no more than 1.3-1.5 kg/year. But the economic side of the issue comes into play here - Ukrainians are ready to consume more, but the price of the product is stopping them. Purchasing power very low.
Regarding potential exports. According to FAO experts, Europe needs an additional 100 thousand tons of walnuts annually. Ukraine ranks 4th in the EU in nut production and is a leader in exports in Europe. We need to maintain these positions and increase our presence in other countries. And it’s worth it, because the price of hulled walnuts on the world market is $5-7/kg, depending on the color, fraction and country of origin, unshelled walnuts are $2/kg.
- How do you see the nut market in the future, say, in 3-4 years?
This area will continue to develop in two to three years and beyond. The two biggest problems are the inaccessibility of funds for planting walnut orchards and the lack of quality seedlings. If we overcome it, everything will be fine.
Irina Zolotareva
Ecology of life. One of the main advantages of this direction is that the demand for this useful product is growing every year, but there are not so many businessmen who are engaged in cultivation on an industrial scale. Why?
One of the main advantages of this direction is that the demand for this useful product is growing every year, but there are not so many businessmen who are engaged in cultivation on an industrial scale. Why? Firstly, this is a purely seasonal business, many are not ready to wait and hope that there will be a harvest and that the profit received will meet expectations. Secondly, the lack of areas for planting.
What are the benefits of walnuts? They have long been recognized as the most useful product on earth. They have a positive effect on brain function, and human body generally. Even scientists recommend eating a dozen of these fruits every day, and then you will not be afraid of any diseases. This nut contains iodine and a lot of useful microelements: proteins, fats and vitamin E.
This line of business is also one of the few that can be classified as a passive form of income. So, having planted trees once, you will be able to collect fruits for many years. They do not require special care and take root well in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.
The largest producer of walnuts is the USA, as well as some European countries.
One of the main sales areas for nuts is the medical industry. Various medicinal tinctures are made from them.
How to choose a variety of walnuts?
It's no secret that by choosing the right varieties of these fruits you can not only get good harvests, but also to build a ripening structure for different seasons. So one of the most popular varieties of walnuts is “Ideal”. It is not for nothing that this variety bears this name; it received it due to its characteristics. So it has a thin shell, and the average kernel weight is about 10 grams. 20 summer tree can produce 120 kg of fruit annually. Usually this variety begins to bear fruit after 3 years after planting. Experienced entrepreneurs buy this type of tree as early as five years of age in order to quickly reach the level of high productivity.
“Ideal” has excellent frost tolerance and can withstand temperatures greater than -30 degrees Celsius.
But you shouldn’t focus on just one type. It is advisable to dilute your planting with other varieties of nuts. So, another popular variety can be called “Giant”. It got its name from the size of the fruit, whose average weight is about 30 grams. So the yield of this variety can reach 35 centners per hectare of planting.
Also, important parameters when choosing a variety are:
shell wall thickness;
core size.
Thus, buyers are not very willing to buy half-empty nuts with thick skins. It is popularly believed that the thinner the walls of the nut and the larger the kernel, the more valuable the product itself. Many world scientists are trying to develop varieties that are ideal in this ratio. So one of them is the French variety - “Frankette”. And in California, they completely bred a nut with the so-called paper type of shell - “Site Rosa Soft Shell”. It is also quite productive, but it is not known how it will react to our climate, and plus, it will be destroyed by our birds, who can cope with our varieties of nuts.
Before planting, walnuts require serious care of the soil in which they will grow. Your planting will be long lasting. If you have clayey terrain, you will need to use organic fertilizers to loosen it a little and establish a system for water inflow and outflow.
It is clear that before planting, the area needs to be cleared of weeds and the area can be cultivated.
Technology:
1.) Plant rows in a north-south direction to ensure good daylight coverage.
2.) The planting pattern on normal soil is usually 5x5m. On poor soils, it is advisable to make larger distances of about 7x7m. But when choosing this scheme, you first need to focus on the size of the upper part of the tree of a particular type of nut.
3.) The hole is made measuring 50 cm in diameter and about 70 - 75 cm in depth.
4.) Fertilizers are poured into the pit, which should sit for 2 days. For 12 - 15 kg of humus add about 50 grams phosphate fertilizers and 25 grams of potassium. After which a little earth is added and filled with water in a volume of 35 - 45 liters.
5.) Simultaneously with preparing the site, the seedlings are placed in water for two days.
6.) Planting a seedling, the roots of which are covered with loose soil. Then water with 35 liters of water. To better conserve moisture, you can sprinkle dry grass near the planting site.
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02.06.2016
Nuts are in great demand all over the world as an essential food product, rich in vegetable protein (16 - 25%), healthy polyunsaturated fats (50 - 65%), fiber, vitamins (E, group B), minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus) and other biologically active substances. The consumption of nuts is increasing every year, and in this case demand is outpacing supply, so growing nut crops is a very promising agricultural business.
Among the wide variety of nuts presented on the consumer market, it occupies one of the leading positions. This situation is explained by several factors. Firstly, these nuts have exceptional value as a food product. Secondly, they have high transportability and a long shelf life, thanks to which they can be sold for a year or more. Thirdly, the amount of areas suitable for growing walnuts, with the necessary climatic and environmental conditions, is quite limited, and the relatively low yield of old walnut orchards (1.0 - 1.5 t/ha) causes a constant shortage of products on the market. In view of all of the above, growing walnuts was, is and will be one of the most profitable projects in agricultural production.
Created ten years ago (in2008) The all-Ukrainian public organization "Ukrainian Nut Association" not only brought together well-known scientists, nut business practitioners, farmers and all interested business executives, but also contributed to the dynamic promotion of the idea of the development of walnut farming and the expansion of areas for the development of new territories. In addition, project participants had the opportunity to purchase high-quality, certified seedlings the best varieties walnuts and a guarantee of receiving compensation in case of crop failures or other force majeure situations.
During this time, our country managed to win third place in the world in terms of gross walnut production and enter the top ten exporters of this product (in 6th place among world countries and in 3rd place in Europe). Favorable soil and climatic conditions make it possible to successfully grow walnut orchards in Ukraine and earn a decent profit. Every year the area occupied by walnuts increases by 1.5 - 2 thousand hectares. Considering the long period of development and fruiting of the crop, the real prospects for walnut growing in the country are very good.
A walnut orchard does not require complex maintenance, so you can get large profits with little investment. For example, cultivating land with an area of 1 hectare costs approximately $200, and preparing planting holes– $100. The cost of seedlings will be about $1 thousand, but it will increase by another $800 due to payments for transportation and planting of trees. As a result, the total cost of creating a walnut plantation with an area of 1 hectare does not exceed $3 thousand.
Considering that on one hectare of a nut plantation there are 100 trees, each of which in the near future will give an average harvest of 40 kg, i.e., in total, more than 4 tons of nuts or 2 tons of nut kernels will be obtained, the total profit from their sale will be$20 thousand (at a price of 1 kg$10). The profitability of such a business is obvious. The investment pays off with interest, and a grown garden does not require significant effort in caring for it. In addition, the yield of young trees will only increase every year. After two- three decades this profitable business will pass on to your children, and eventually to your grandchildren.
The issue of selling crops is very important in walnut farming. Considering the fact that almost all nuts are widely used in confectionery industry and cooking, it is advisable to look for sales points there. You can agree on the delivery of products to confectionery shops, cafes, restaurants and other catering establishments. Nut products are in good demand in stores and supermarkets. Alternatively, you can organize your own retail outlet or your own online store.
If there is an idea to develop the business on a larger scale, then it is possible to export walnuts to Europe, where the demand for it is about 100 thousand tons per year.
Description of the walnut business
Let's consider a business plan for a comprehensive closed-cycle nut business program:
planting a 100-hectare walnut orchard;
walnut processing (husking, sizing, pre-sale preparation);
making nut butter and grinding walnut shells for further use.
The business will be successful due to the following:
the sales market is not limited by geography and order volumes; a potential client (trade, confectionery industry, perfumery, paint, etc.) has an urgent need for a product;
waste-free business production (kernel, shell, nut partitions, wood, leaves, branches, roots are raw materials for the food, light, chemical and pharmaceutical industries);
long-term profit (100 – 120 years);
long shelf life of the product, no special storage conditions and simple conditions packaging and transportation.
Products:
walnuts, calibrated and packaged for sale on the European and Turkish markets;
walnut kernels calibrated for quality in vacuum packaging or Kraft boxes for the world market;
walnut oil for the food, perfume and pharmaceutical industries.
Risks
The business is exposed to the following risk factors:
climatic conditions (global climate change);
human factor (vandalism, theft);
natural pests: nut moth, nut moth.
Financial plan for planting a garden of 100 hectares
according to the Chilean scheme (intensive gardens) – 5x10
Purchase of planting material: 1 seedling = $13 (337 UAH), 100 hectares x 200 seedlings x $13 = $260,000 (6,740,000 UAH)
Planting: 100 hectares x 200 seedlings x $4 (cost of planting one nut) = $80,000 (2,075,200 UAH).
Purchase of a tractor and equipment: $20,000 (518,800 UAH) – tractor; $40,000 (1,037,600 UAH) – equipment.
Garden maintenance for 8 years: 8 years x 100 hectares x $250 = $200,000 (5,188,000 UAH).
Protection for the first three years (all year): 3 years x 12 months. x $300 x 2 = $21,600 (560,304 UAH).
Protection for the next five years (only during the fruiting period): 5 years x 3 months. x $500 x 2 = $15,000 (389,100 UAH).
Cost of 100 hectares of land: 100 hectares x $3300 = $330,000 (8,560,200 UAH).
Total amount, including contingencies: $1,000,000 (25,940,000 UAH).
In the 5th year, the nut already begins to bear fruit: 100 hectares x 200 trees x 2.5 kg = 50,000 kg.
In the 6th year the harvest will be: 100 hectares x 200 trees x 5 kg = 100,000 kg.
In the 7th year the harvest will be: 100 hectares x 200 trees x 10 kg = 200,000 kg.
Garden productivity from 5th to 7th years: 100 hectares x 3500 kg = 350,000 kg.
The cost of the harvest from the 5th to the 7th years: 350,000 kg x $3 = $1,050,000 (27,237,000 UAH).
In the 7th year, the invested money is returned.
For the 8th year: 100 hectares x 200 trees x 15 kg = 300,000 kg; 300,000 kg x $3 = $900,000 (23,346,000 UAH).
On the 9th - at least 20 kg of nuts per tree: 100 hectares x 200 trees x 20 kg = 400,000 kg; 400,000 kg x $3 = $1,200,000 (31,128,000 UAH).
On the 10th - at least 25 kg of nuts per tree: 100 hectares x 200 trees x 25 kg = 500,000 kg; 500,000 kg x $3 = $1,500,000 (38,910,000 UAH).
From the resulting kernel we can get 40% of the kernel. Of these, 40% are top-grade kernels that will be exported; 10% can be used to produce walnut oil.
Equipment for cleaning and drying walnuts costs about $300,000 (7,782,000 UAH). Such equipment, when fully employed, pays for itself in 1 season.
Equipment for peeling nuts – $300,000 (7,782,000 UAH).
Equipment for kernel sorting – $100,000 (2,594,000 UAH).
The cost of the oil press is $30,000 (778,200 UAH).
Equipment for pressing shells into briquettes – $100,000 (2,594,000 UAH).
Construction of a hangar with an area of 1000 sq. m, as well as communications will amount to $100,000 (2,594,000 UAH).
The cost of packaging equipment is $70,000 (1,815,800 UAH).
It turns out that the maximum cost of equipment and premises will be about $1,000,000 (25,940,000 UAH).
Financial scheme for walnut processing:
300,000 kg x 40% = 120,000 kg – premium quality kernel.
300,000 kg x 10% = 30,000 kg is a small kernel that we can use to produce walnut oil.
30,000 kg x 50% = 15,000 l – premium walnut oil.
300,000 kg x 50% = 150,000 kg – briquettes, powder (flour).
Financial scheme for the sale of walnuts and products made from them:
120,000 kg of premium kernel x $10 = $1,200,000 (31,128,000 UAH).
15,000 liters of oil x $10 = $150,000 (3,891,000 UAH).
150,000 kg of briquettes x $0.3 = $45,000 (1,167,300 UAH).
Total revenue will be: $1,395,000 (36,186,300 UAH) – $95,000 (2,464,300 UAH), which will include expenses for salaries and communications.
Net profit: $1,300,000 (33,722,000 UAH).
To make your expenses pay off faster, you can combine walnuts with plums. Ukraine imports large quantities of prunes, but the demand is not fully satisfied. This means that the grown plums from our garden can be sold without any problems. From 1 hectare you can get 10 tons of plums.
If you live in Ukraine, Moldova, the North Caucasus, Central Asia, Transcaucasia, then you have the opportunity to earn tens of thousands of dollars a year by once investing some money in a walnut orchard. You will begin to receive a guaranteed profit in the 4th year and so on for 100-120 years, good prospects, right?
How much can you earn
For the calculation, we take a garden measuring 100 by 100 meters. In such an area you can plant 100 trees.
- Need to prepare a plot of land (ploughing, harrowing, cultivation) – $200
- Then we prepare places for planting seedlings (digging holes, filling with fertilizer) – $100
- We buy seedlings, it will cost $1000
- Final stage, delivery and planting of trees – $800
Total costs: $2100
After 4 years, one mature walnut tree will produce from 30 to 50 kg of dry nuts per year (depending on weather conditions). This means that from our 100 trees we can collect at least 3 tons of unshelled nuts, which will cost $6000 (price per kg $2). If you peel the nuts and get the so-called nut kernel, you can sell it for $15000 (3 tons of unshelled nuts is 1.5 tons of nut kernels, multiply by the price per kg $10)
Expenses
Any garden requires attention and care.
- Firstly, you may have to buy more seedlings, as some may not take root. The usual survival rate of walnut seedlings is 80%.
- Once a year you will need to plow the soil around the trunk, this is done manually. Depending on weather conditions, trees may need to be watered
- During the nut collection period, garden security will be required.
Benefits of the nut business
- Constantly growing demand for nuts
- Almost all parts of a walnut tree can be sold. The trunk and branches are used in the furniture industry. Leaves, roots, peels, nut shells are raw materials for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries
- Consistent profits can be made for decades
- Long shelf life of the product, no special storage conditions and simple transportation conditions
- In Ukraine, 60% of the amount spent on planting and organizing a farm is compensated by the state
Income increase
While the crowns of the trees have not closed, you can effectively use the soil between the trees and plant there, for example, a pumpkin. This is called agroforestry.
Branches of mature trees are thinned to increase yield. The trimmed branches can be sold to furniture manufacturers.
Nuts can be sold in shells, or the nut kernel can be sold. For example, the so-called “butterflies”, halves of a nut, cost 10 times more.
If you do not sell the nuts immediately, but package and store them, then they can be sold at a higher price.
Possible risks
- Climate change in your area
- Human factor (vandalism, theft)
- Natural pests: Nut moth (Gracillaria rosciopenella), nut moth (Cydia pomonella)
Sales
Selling the harvest will not be a problem. There are hundreds of advertisements on the Internet for the purchase of walnuts. You can also open a retail outlet at a local market or sell nuts directly to supermarkets, shops or confectionery factories.