Let’s eat as many Hungarian walnuts as possible, and not just in December!

(Photo: Pixabay)

During the Advent period, the demand for walnuts among Hungarian consumers increases significantly. The reason for this is that walnuts are a popular ingredient in holiday desserts. Gastronomy is looking for walnuts: their cold-pressed oil goes well with salads, soups and sauces, but they can quickly turn rancid, so it is recommended to consume them quickly. Green walnuts in sugar syrup go well with mature cheeses and liver pâtés. However, their best-known form is the aromatic, exceptionally tasty green walnut jam, which has a blood pressure-lowering effect. In addition to walnut kernels, consumers can also find walnuts in shell in most supermarket chains, and walnuts can now also be found on store shelves in ground form, in 100-200 gram packages.

However, walnuts are not only worth eating because of their characteristic taste

The nut fruit contains many vitamins, and is an important source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C and E. Walnut kernels are rich in magnesium, zinc, potassium, calcium, folic acid, fluorine, copper, iron, as well as manganese and copper. It is also a food that cannot be neglected as a source of fiber, so we can do a lot for healthy digestion by consuming it. Due to its polyunsaturated fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids – alpha-linolenic acid – and arginine content, it has a beneficial effect on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and contributes to the improvement of the condition of blood vessels. It also supports brain function and increases the ability to concentrate. It contains all 8 essential amino acids, in a composition that is beneficial to the human body. In addition to the walnut kernel, various parts of the plant can also be utilized, and there are long traditions in folk medicine of using walnut leaves or walnut shells.

Walnuts are currently grown on approximately 9,200 hectares in our country, which is a significant increase compared to the previous 6,000 hectares

The largest production area is located in the counties of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and Somogy. At the same time, there are still many neglected walnut plantations with low production technology; The size of well-cultivated, somewhat more intensive plantations is under 3,000 hectares in the country. The annual production can be estimated at 6,450 tons, which could be significantly increased by developing the production technology and increasing the proportion of intensive, irrigated, modern, high-yielding plantations.

There is a market demand for high-quality domestic walnuts, but they have lost their importance in export markets: they are gradually being squeezed out of the supply due to the rise of Chilean, Australian, French and Chinese walnuts

To improve our export position, the average yields per plant should be increased within a short time. In order to increase the efficiency of cultivation, it is essential to develop the production technology, modernize the cultivation system, and primarily create a crown shape that is more manageable and loaded with fruiting parts, which would also solve the problems of plant protection – in the otherwise typical dense crown – without any problems. The implementation of developments can be supported by the subsidies available to the sector. In addition to the plantation establishment subsidy opened in September, the new Agri-Environmental Management (AKG) scheme starting in January 2025 can also encourage the renewal of domestic walnut plantations.

NAK