Loden Foundation

Call for Proposals / Fall Funding Window

Potential Businesses within the Hazelnut Value Chain

  1. Commercial agriculture: Integrated plantings (leased or own private land) of  hazelnut orchards on a wider spacing with shorter term market attractive/food security crops, by individuals or groups of young people. 

  2. Orchard management service businesses: There is year-round work to support hazelnut growers that could support orchard management service businesses, including 1) hiring out field clearing grasscutters by farmers or providing labour with machinery; 2) providing pruning services and equipment; and 3) supplying harvesting labour and equipment, possibly tied to post-harvest services.

  3. Logistics services to support the value chain: Transport of raw materials to supply MH field and factory operations, plus delivery of materials to growers. Transportation of nuts is required both from fields to collection centers, collection centers to the factory, and from the factory to the border. This sector will expand significantly over the next few years.

  4. Post-harvesting services: Post-harvesting services such as drying and best practices for collection and storage. Entrepreneurs could help to dry and improve the quality of production.

  5. Organic inputs: The availability of organic nutrient amendments for Mountain Hazelnuts growers is insufficient and too costly. There is a business case for locally made enriched organic inputs.

  6. Establishment services: Establishing new fields is complicated and intensive. Labour crews with skilled workers could help farmers and absentee landlords set up new hazelnut areas.

  7. Harvest labour services: The quality of the nuts collected during the harvest determines the income of Mountain Hazelnuts farms. Harvest labour services will help the farmers to increase the number of nuts harvested and improve the quality of the yield.

  8. Packaging, bagging, and labelling raw material supply: Mountain Hazelnuts will need a considerable amount of raw material to fabricate their bags for packing nuts. This business idea can also be used to supply other agribusiness companies.