Turkey set to promote its hazelnuts in China

Turkey is stepping up promotion efforts across China to ensure that the Chinese people consume more hazelnuts and so boost Turkey's hazelnut exports to the world's fastest-growing major economy, with a population of more than 1 billion. As part of his recent China visit, State Minister for Foreign Trade Zafer Caglayan was briefed about the work of the Hazelnut Promotion Group in China, and tested several Chinese- produced hazelnut products such as ice cream, cake and snacks with hazelnut sauce. Stating that Turkey's exports to China have risen gradually in recent years, Caglayan stressed the importance of marketing Turkish goods like hazelnuts to the Chinese by adapting them to the local cuisine and expectations. Turkey's Trade Chief Trade Counselor in China Ender Oncü said that they were using a professional approach to promote hazelnuts in China, adding that Turkey currently exports more than 1,000 tons of hazelnuts to China annually, with a value of $7 million.