Challenges and Goals
Market Opportunities
Nepal does already have some hazelnut production; however it is not a staple crop and has only recently been incorporated into their program. As a result, it is still unclear how well hazelnuts could be received by the Nepalese community, however it is predicted to go over well. At present time, there is little competition in hazelnut production or sales in Nepal, with few producers actively marketing their nuts. The average nuts in Nepal cost about 1,500 rupees per kg, with farmers claiming the high price was mainly due to transportation issues, including the price of diesel and a difficulty of crossing the border to export to other countries. Some have stated that they have been rejected at the border and could not export the nuts, yet transportation costs still apply. One way to avoid this would be to offer easy access for support in exportation, including acquiring proper and acceptable documentation for exportation. Farmers should be encouraged to ensure they have buyers before transporting the crops, rather than looking for buyers with their crops. Alternatively, selling locally should be encouraged as that would minimize transportation costs and likely eliminate the need to handle complex documentation, thus ensure fewer expenses and gain more profit. A lowered transportation cost may also be achieved if farmers understand and deliver a larger amount of nuts at a time, even multiple farms per delivery. The saved costs may be reflected in lowering the selling price that further promotes their business as well as attracting more satisfied consumers who would then recommend the nuts and allow for more consumers.
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Hazelnuts, among other nuts, at the market
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Sales of hazelnut products in Turkey
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Trees being transported by truck
Transport
To deliver Earthgen hazelnut trees to Nepal, a series of steps must be followed. First, all the required permits and documentations are gathered, including the Nepal custom import declaration form, letter of authority for clearing agents to act on behalf of the importer, Proforma Invoice, certificate of insurance policy, Foreign Exchange Declaration Form of Nepal Rastra Bank, certified copy of L/C, company registration certificate, VAT/PAN registration certificate, and permission from Plant Quarantine Section of Department of Agriculture for import of plants. After gathering all required documents, the year-old saplings must then be sent by truck from Dunnsville, Ontario where they had been grown, to the port of Halifax, in Nova Scotia, where they would be transported by ship to the port of Calcutta, India. Once cleared for import with documentation, the saplings are sent by truck to the Himalayan Mountains, where they would be received by the consumer, currently Himalayan Organic Farm Nepal, to begin planting. This process is best done in early spring while trees are still dormant. This would take approximately 3 days before arrival at destination. Each trip could carry around twenty to thirty saplings, depending on the size of the truck.
To keep the trees in optimal condition during shipping, the roots are to be bundled in a “root ball”, in which the dirt would be packed tightly with the roots in the shape of a ball. A wet canopy would be wrapped around the root ball so that drying does not occur. The whole tree is to be kept in shade, preferably in an enclosed space to protect from direct sunlight or high temperatures. The farmers should be ready to plant the saplings the day that they arrive to ensure that any damage is minimized and the trees are restored to their natural living conditions as soon as possible. The roots should be allowed to spread naturally in a horizontal fashion, not bunched downward, which can lead to death. Weeds should be removed prior to planting to ensure that each tree has enough required nutrients.