How are walnuts grown commercially?

It is very difficult to meet the cultivation of walnuts as a business on an industrial scale. Often the main suppliers of this useful product are villagers, who are provided with the harvest by several trees growing right in the yard of their house. At the same time, the demand for the nut always exceeds the supply, since there are quite a few areas of its application, from cooking to medicine. Let's try to find out how profitable it is to engage in this particular direction in business.

Why nuts

It's no secret that the benefits of a walnut are great. The main reasons for the constant demand for it can be called:

• high nutritional value;
• not too high yield;
• a small costly part to start a business;
• easy maintenance of the garden;
• ease of transportation;
• long shelf life.

However, one should not forget that walnut trees bear fruit and live, in fact, for a very long time. It is especially important to take this into account when choosing a land plot for such a business. It is better that the land be your property, or the lease was concluded for a very long period.

The reason lies in the fact that the first harvest after planting seedlings can be obtained no earlier than in five years. Therefore, it will not be possible to return the invested funds immediately. But, as they say, your great-grandchildren will also be able to reap the fruits of labor.

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Business registration

The legal side of the issue is also important. Of course, you can grow nuts at home without any documents. We just planted 2-3 trees in our private garden and calmly go about our other business. To do business on a larger scale, there is one nuance to consider.

Walnut growing is one of the varieties of agriculture. If the land plot on which you will develop this business does not exceed 1 hectare in area, then we can say that you do not need any documents, since in this case you can only talk about your personal household plots. If the cultivated area is larger, then business registration will be required, since we are already talking about industrial production.

The form of management is suitable for both individual and LLC. Please note that if your plans also include the processing of nuts, then the documents will need to be drawn up in any case.

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Choosing seedlings

Of all the suppliers of young shoots of nuts, nurseries are by far the best. There you can buy grafted trees that are adapted to the living conditions in your area. Trees bought from the market may not meet your expectations and constantly freeze out in cold winters; therefore, in the spring, the seedlings will simply have to be changed, and this will further delay the receipt of the first harvest.

This type of tree belongs to those that are cross-pollinated, and therefore at least three varieties of walnuts should be planted on your site. Preference should be given to those bred in your area, since they are already adapted to the local climate. Do not forget to ask the nursery for a variety certificate in the process of buying seedlings. It must be there.

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Planting trees

The algorithm for planting and caring for trees is not very complicated. It must, however, be remembered that nuts need a lot of light. In addition, trees take a lot of nutrients from the soil, and therefore be prepared for the fact that, in addition to walnut trees, other crops are unlikely to grow on your site.

Before starting the cultivation of walnuts, which as a long-term business is a very attractive direction, you should take care of the soil itself. 3-4 months before planting seedlings, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work and saturate the soil with nitrogen and minerals. After that, it must be plowed with a plow and divided into sections.

The calculation of the area required for each tree is done as follows:

• for seedlings with apical type of fruiting - 10 by 10 meters for each tree;
• with lateral fruiting - 8 by 6 meters.

A month before the start of planting, it is necessary to dig holes for each shoot, 1 meter wide. The depth of the hole will depend on the size of the root system. Next, you need to fill each hole with humus and wood ash. And immediately before planting, dip the root system itself into clay so that it better adheres to the ground.

After planting, the trees need to be filled with two buckets of water. In the future, watering should be carried out when the earth dries up.

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Garden care

This stage must be treated with special responsibility. Every year, the land must be cultivated to a depth of 10 cm in summer, and plowed by 20 cm in autumn. When shaping the crown of trees, give preference to a sparse system, which implies that the branches are located singly and evenly along the entire trunk; this ensures good natural light for all fruits.

The main thing at the initial stage is for the root system to take over. When the tree is already firmly anchored in the soil and begins to grow, it will not need special care. Nuts are not afraid of pests, and they are very calm about temperature changes.

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Profitability and sales

The first thing that worries entrepreneurs in a new business is, of course, its profitability. First, you need to understand what kind of crop you can harvest from your site. Professionals in the walnut business claim that 2.5-3 centners of nuts can be obtained from one hectare of land. This volume has been growing every year for 20 years. After this period, the yield will already be 40-50 centners per hectare.

Do not forget that 49% of your harvest will be walnut shells. If we discard this part, then from the collected amount you will have 15-20 centners from each hectare of land.

In addition, you can sell not only kernels, but also internal partitions. The profit is small, but the transportation costs may well pay off. As for the initial cost items, here you will have to invest in:

• land cultivation;
• purchase of seedlings;
• soil preparation;
• transportation.

An equally important stage is the sale of the products obtained. There can be a lot of options in whose hands to give your crop. Here are the main channels of implementation:

1. Confectionery production. You can supply products to them on the basis of a contract. Nuts are very often used for the production of cakes, rolls, cookies and sweets, and therefore there is always a need for them in such factories.
2. Medical enterprises. Nuts are very often used to make food supplements, creams, lotions, and therefore it would be useful to look for local pharmaceutical companies.
3. Reception points. Such points will always be found in any city. Usually they buy walnuts in bulk for further delivery abroad. Note that most often they will take peeled nuts.

Thus, we can say that this type of entrepreneurship is especially suitable for those who have their own land and a small capital stock available. But even if there is no land plot, you will not need large funds to start a business.

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Walnut - secrets and tips for growing: Video

When asked about developing their own business from scratch, people most often consider options with a minimum investment of money. Of course, initially it may seem to you that the most optimal options would be to grow vegetables, nuts or fruits. There are a lot of walnut orchards in Ukraine and Russia, the owners of which can boast of a decent income. But growing walnuts as a business has not only advantages, but also negative sides.

Start

Of course, not having a large enough land plot to engage in this type of business, there is simply no point. The state can provide assistance on this issue. For example, in Ukraine, in order to run your own peasant farm, you can get two hectares of land. It is provided free of charge, but you have to fork out to get all the necessary documents. It is also not worth hoping that the resulting plot will differ in fertility, because the best plots are leased or distributed. Of course, you can look for an option in a more remote area, but then you will not be able to do without your own transport. Russian legislation is also willing to meet halfway, especially if you have a large family.

If you have firmly decided to deal with nuts, then all these obstacles of the bureaucracy can easily pass. Having received the desired land, you can plant a garden. There can be only two options - buy ready-made seedlings or grow them yourself from nuts. The variety must be selected in advance so that the trees bring a lot of large nuts. Also, you have probably heard about the walnut certificate. By purchasing ready-made seedlings with quality certificates, you will protect yourself from such adverse factors as natural disasters, lean years or other force majeure situations. For these cases, state compensation is due, to which you will have every right.

At the same time, remember that the intensive yield of varieties is not only a plus, since the garden will serve you for no more than half a century. There are a lot of useful substances in nuts, therefore it sucks them out of the earth, practically "killing it". Almost nothing grows under the nuts, and the fertility of the soil will not be restored even if the nut is removed from it. It is for this reason that it is required to stock up on organic fertilizers and from time to time apply them under the garden. In fact, this is the only difficulty in caring for nuts, but not everyone does it. The nut will grow relatively quickly, because these trees are quite powerful. They endure severe frosts and diseases.

The first crop can be harvested in four years, but the full yield can only be obtained in 12-14 years.

Benefit

So how profitable are walnuts as a business? In fact, the benefits are quite decent. Initially, you will be able to harvest about three hundred kilograms of nuts from each hectare of land, and 20 years after planting this figure will increase to four tons!

Industrial cultivation of walnuts will allow you to obtain approximately two tons of net mass of walnut kernels. Now a kilogram of nuts costs an average of $ 8, which, with the indicated volumes, will bring about $ 16 thousand! But that's not all! In addition to kernels, partitions and shells are also valuable. Of course, they will not get income from them as from the cores, but it will be enough to pay for various expenses. It turns out that from a garden of two hectares of land, you will have about 30 thousand dollars a year. Now calculate how much you get, for example, in fifteen years? Enough for a decent old age with interest.

Pros and cons

Of course, there are many more pluses than minuses:

• Minimum start-up costs are required. Getting or renting land is relatively cheap.For planting, even at the highest density, no more than four hundred seedlings are required per hectare of land, the average price of which is $ 2.5. We get two thousand dollars for seedlings for the whole garden. If you grow them yourself from nuts, then the costs do not become tangible at all;
• Ease of agricultural technology. Saplings immediately begin to actively grow, and the garden requires minimal maintenance;
• High demand. Thinking about the output of the walnut kernel, remember the presence of confectionery factories and wholesalers buying them in large quantities;
• Nuts are easy to store. The low temperature will not interfere even with long-term storage of nuts, the main thing is that the room is dry;
• Minimum of competitors. There are very few entrepreneurs engaged in the cultivation of nuts at the moment.

But the negative aspects, of course, also take place:

• The first profit will have to wait for several years;
• Not every person has money for initial investments. Even with several thousand dollars on hand, not everyone will invest them and will wait for the harvest for four years;
• Premises for a warehouse and trucks are required. In the absence, the premises will have to be built from scratch, and transport can be rented or purchased. However, these costs will pay off from the first harvests, which allows you to use a loan from the bank.

Agree, having your own savings, it is better to invest them in opening this business than opening a deposit in a bank for the sake of miserable interest. You can work on your own at first, and then, when the yield rises to the proper level, hire people. Thus, you will have time for other things, or you can just relax, sitting at home and earning income.

Nut Millionaire: Video

• Monthly profit (from): $ 9500
• Payback period (from): 96 months
• Starting capital (from): $ 190,000

Business relevance

Growing walnuts is a highly profitable business that does not require impressive capital for development. As practice shows, seedlings quickly take root after planting, tolerate temperature fluctuations and are resistant to various pests. The process of tree care is simple, and harvesting (and profit) is guaranteed for more than a dozen years. Therefore, by organizing the cultivation of walnuts as a business, you can provide not only income for yourself, but also leave a good inheritance for your children and even grandchildren.

But this medal also has a downside - a business idea will not start generating income immediately, but after 8-10 years. It will be possible to get the first harvest after at least 5 years. Time for capital accumulation and payback of the project belongs to the long-term money program, and the project itself is not free from risks. This branch of agricultural production is recommended for specialized farms as an additional source of direction.

Properties

An important advantage of this business is the constant stable demand, which is due to:

• the value of the nut as a food product;
• the possibility of transportation over long distances;
• good preservation of products;
• deficit in Russia and European countries.

The yield of such orchards can reach 2.5 tons of peeled kernels per hectare. The size of the nut kernel varies within 35 mm. When assessing the yield and quality of products, the following is taken into account:

1. taste (lack of bitterness);
2. core size;
3. shell wall thickness;
4. the degree of filling with the kernel of the nut;
5. ease of removing the kernel from the shell.

Variety selection

Today, breeders have bred many different varieties of walnuts, each of which has its own qualities.

Consider the varieties that are suitable for organizing a profitable and profitable business:

1. Bulganak - yields a harvest 5-6 years after planting and proper processing. The crown of the tree is of medium density, the kernel is large enough - 12-14 grams. After 5 years after planting, about 2.5 centners of kernel kernels can be harvested from one hectare, after 20 years the yield will increase to 36 centners.
2. "Ideal" - a real victory and pride of breeders and a great opportunity to earn money for entrepreneurs. The variety has excellent performance - after 20 years, about 120 kilograms of harvest can be harvested from one tree, the tree begins to bear fruit in the third year. The kernel occupies 50.1% of the mass of the whole nut, the shell is thin, the taste is excellent.
3. "Burliuk" - an unpretentious variety of nuts, begins to bear fruit at 6-7 years. The crown of the tree is round, the average mass of the kernel is 12 grams. 7 years after planting, 3 centners of a kernel can be harvested from one hectare, at the age of 20 the trees yield up to 41 centners.
4. "Giant" ripens late, but the yield is quite high, which can reach up to 30 centners per hectare. The tree begins to bear fruit at 5-6 years. The nut got this name due to its large size: on average, the kernel reaches 30 grams, while the thickness of the shell remains only 1 millimeter.
5. Arkad - at the age of seven it gives a yield of about 2.7 centners per hectare, at the age of 20 the yield rises to 46 centners. The tree will bear fruit in the seventh year. The crown is wide and rounded, the skeletal branches are located at an acute angle. The mass of the core is about 10 grams.

Growing technology

The tree is thermophilic, but it can tolerate frosts down to -25 ºС - -30 ºС, it grows in regions with a temperate climate. Aspiring entrepreneurs need to know how to grow walnuts, all the intricacies of fertilizing and caring for trees. Main factors and cultivation technologies:

1. Influence of light. Walnut is a light-loving crop that will grow well and give a high yield only in good light. But do not try to plant trees to increase yields - such attempts have never been successful.
2. Humidity. The best option is growing in regions with low humidity with a constant level of groundwater. It is unacceptable to plant trees on acidic soil or in wetlands.
3. The soil. Good results can be obtained only with the full implementation of all agricultural activities.
4. Fertilizers. It is recommended to apply potassium-phosphorus fertilizers at the root level. You do not need to loosen the soil many times. Nitrogen fertilizers will increase yields, but they can also contribute to the development of bacteriosis, so they need to be treated with caution.
5. Irrigation. Nuts need a lot of water intake, especially from May to August. In many regions, rainfall is insufficient, so it is advisable to water the crop.

Video - Planting a walnut in open ground:

Choice of landing methods

Planting nuts can be done in two ways - seedlings or seeds. But in the latter case, it is not always possible to predict what fruits the tree will bear and whether the variety is compatible with the selected region. An exception can only be specialized firms that are engaged in breeding and sell nut seedlings.

If nuts are already growing near the selected tree planting site, you can select this plant as a seed donor. So there will be confidence in adapting to the climatic conditions and soil conditions of the selected region.

How to plant nuts from seeds: harvest the largest and ripe fruits. Ripeness is indicated by small cracks in the outer shell and simple flaking from the shell. Planting is recommended in the fall after harvest.

Dig a hole 1 meter deep, peel the nut from the outer shell (pericarp) and place it in it, covering it with soil with humus. There is a lot of controversy about whether it is necessary to clean the pericarp from the nut. It has been proven that when they are cleaned, the tree germinates faster.

It is better to plant seedlings in early spring at 2 years of age. Choose seedlings that have a trunk thickness of at least 1 centimeter at a distance of 5 centimeters from the root collar. The height of the sprout is not important in this case. Before planting, the vertical root must be cut off by 2-3 centimeters, and the place of the cut must be lubricated with clay.The seedling is placed in a dug hole and covered with fertilized soil, the excess branches are cut off.
growing walnuts

Financial plan

Consider the approximate calculations for planting 100 hectares. 68 seedlings are needed per hectare.

• site preparation (cultivation, plowing) - 40 thousand rubles;
• preparation of planting holes (digging, fertilizing) - 300 thousand rubles;
• purchase of seedlings (6800 pcs., two-year, cost of one - 300 rubles) - 2.04 million rubles;
• care (planting, garter to the base, watering) - 500 thousand rubles;
• costs for agrochemistry (maksimarin, superphosphate) - 500 thousand rubles;
• wage fund (4 workers for 10 months with a salary of 18,000 rubles) - 720 thousand rubles;
• other costs (tax, transport, etc.) - 100 thousand rubles.

As can be seen from the approximate business plan, costs of 4.2 million rubles are needed in the first year.

The cost of maintaining the garden in future years will be about 1,820,000 rubles. They will be used for plowing, removing weeds, using agricultural chemistry, watering and protecting the territory.

Approximate calculation: 4.2 million rubles. + 1.82 million rubles. x 4 years = 11.48 million rubles.

Balance sheet for five years - -11.48 million rubles.

Video - Industrial cultivation of nuts (automation):

Profitability calculation

How much can you earn? You can count on making a profit only from the fifth year. It is possible to collect about 640 quintals of nuts from 100 hectares of land.

The cost of a peeled nut is 250-600 rubles per kilogram (depending on the state of the kernel), prices for unpeeled nuts vary between 130-150 rubles per kilogram.

If you hire 4 more temporary workers to collect and process nuts (their wages for two months will be 144 thousand rubles) and sell unpeeled nuts at 140 rubles per kilogram, the income will be 8.96 million rubles. (64,000 kg x 140 rubles).

Approximate net profit - 6,996,000 rubles. (8.96 million rubles - 1.82 million rubles - 144 thousand rubles).

As can be seen from the calculations, in three years you can recoup the start-up costs and reach the break-even point in the 8th year.

At the same time, the yield will increase every year. Already in the tenth year, with the correct maintenance of the garden, up to 80 tons of nuts can be harvested from 100 hectares.

To increase the efficiency of your business, you can purchase a walnut processing line and sell it already peeled.

Required start-up capital: from 11,480,000 rubles.
Monthly profit: from 583,000 rubles (6,996,000 million rubles per season, starting from the 5th year)
Payback period: from 8 years.

Sales

Today in Europe and Russia there is a rather large deficit for walnuts. There is no need to advertise the products; during the season, points of purchase of nuts are opened in the markets. You can often meet a person with a sign "Buy nuts". You can also search for ads on the Internet.

Industrial growing of nuts can be called "passive income", besides, the business is designed for more than one generation.

The possibility of combining with another type of business

Since trees are planted sparsely, other crops can be grown between them for a more rational use of the land (this direction is especially important in the first five years, when seedlings are growing). You can grow pumpkin or legumes.

Walnuts are thermophilic, common in the southern regions. Attempts to grow them in the north ended in failure. But residents of the northwestern regions can replace it with Manchurian walnut, which is very similar to walnut, and at the same time is frost-resistant (it can endure cold winters from -30 ° C and even short drops to -45 ° C).

Also, as a combination of directions, you can grow the chekalkin nut - this is a shrub up to 4 meters high. It has a curved crown, which is covered with white flowers in spring. Experts consider this plant to be one of the most beautiful shrubs. Then the flower turns into a small box, in each of which 5-17 nuts similar to hazelnuts are formed by autumn.

At home

If there is no opportunity to invest in the planting and development of a garden of millions of investments, you can plant several trees in the country. The approximate yield from one tree at home is 12-14 kilograms. When selling a kernel from only one tree, you can earn 5-10 thousand rubles. and get a good addition to the basic income.

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The walnut is known to almost everyone. It doesn't need additional advertising. The fruits are offered throughout the year in shops and bazaars. Growing nuts as a business is becoming more widespread. The business of growing walnuts belongs to the category of "long money" - funds invested in the development of walnut plantations will begin to return no earlier than in 6 years.

You can profit from growing walnuts not only in the sale of nuts. In great demand are:
Wood
Fruit
· Leaves
Unripe fruits

Walnut wood is highly prized. It is used in the manufacture of interior items, furniture, doors, fakes.

The fruits are eaten. Oil is extracted from them, which, unfortunately, remains for a short period of time. Walnut fruits are nutritious and tasty. They are widely used in dietary nutrition. The calorie content of the kernels is 653 kcal per 100 g of product. The same amount of the product accounts for 15.24 mg of proteins and 6.7 mg of fiber. Eating walnuts improves memory and has a beneficial effect on male potency. 100 g of the product contain potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium, manganese, zinc, copper, selenium, vitamins of group B, C, A, E, K.

Walnut leaves contain a large amount of aromatic and bitter substances. It is their vapors that cause severe headaches in some people. For a long time, the leaves have been used as a wound healing agent. The peel of the fruit contains a large amount of tannins. Jam is made from unripe fruits, which is famous for its high content of vitamins.

Market for walnuts. Even after the harvest, many may face the question of where the resulting product can be sold. Of course, one option is to sell nuts in bazaars or supply them to shops. But the options do not end there. You can conclude a contract for the supply of products with confectionery factories and bakeries. Kernels are often used in baking cakes and pastries.

Great demand for products in medical institutions. Kernels, shells, partitions of nuts are used in the manufacture of creams, lotions, tinctures, dietary supplements. You can conclude a supply contract with local pharmaceutical companies. Often this kind of business brings excellent income. Most major cities have specialized collection points. They buy walnuts for subsequent resale abroad.

It is difficult to find high quality seedlings in today's market. You can receive income from the sale of grafted planting material. Proper budding will not only increase the number of trees on your site, but also offer seedlings for sale.

Walnut cultivation technology

Walnut is a warm and light-loving plant. The countries of Central Asia are considered his homeland. But scientists have succeeded in breeding frost-resistant varieties, thanks to which the cultivation of this plant can occur almost everywhere. When choosing a place where the walnut garden will be located in the future, you need to pay attention to some features.

Illumination of the site. An open area is suitable for a walnut, where each sunbeam will give its maximum energy to the tree.

Humidity. For proper cultivation of hazelnuts, moderate moisture and good drainage are necessary.

The soil. Plants will grow and bear fruit better in nutritious soils.

Plot size. On average, up to 300 trees can fit per hectare, while the maximum yield can reach 4 tons from the indicated area.

In order for the walnut garden to bring maximum income, it is necessary to choose the right planting material. Don't choose wild varieties. The tree produces a small amount of fruit and the kernels are noticeably bitter. You can grow trees from seedlings or seeds. Nuts begin to bear fruit as early as 5-8 years after planting, but the maximum yield can be achieved only after 15-20 years. 3-4 year old seedlings are ideal as planting material. In areas with high acidity of soils, lime must be applied 2 months before the intended planting. For planting, holes are dug 70 * 70 cm. It is worth noting that this size is not final. In some cases, the root system of the seedling can significantly exceed these dimensions. In such cases, it is recommended to widen the pit. The roots should be free to crumple. The plant is placed in a hole, spreading its root system. All actions should be carried out as carefully as possible so as not to harm the roots. After all the preparations are completed, the pit is covered with earth and humus (all components are taken in equal proportions). The earth is being compacted. It is recommended to leave the root collar of the plant at soil level. After planting, the seedlings are watered with copious amounts of water. For each bush, 2-3 buckets of liquid are needed. To protect and improve the properties of the soil, the surface of the earth is sprinkled with a layer of leaves or sawdust. When planting several seedlings at the same time, the distance between them should be at least 5 meters. Seed embedding occurs to a depth of 8 cm. Walnut is considered an unpretentious plant. It can grow almost anywhere. But when choosing a site, it is recommended to give preference to fertile and loose soils. An excellent harvest can be achieved on heavy loams with minimal acidity and low groundwater levels. When choosing a site for a future garden, give up wetlands or heavily compacted lands. To obtain a bountiful harvest, it is necessary to apply top dressing to replenish the supply of essential nutrients. For this, you can use special complex fertilizers and green manure. When choosing a site, give preference to open areas that are reliably protected from strong gusts of wind and spring frosts. Spring frosts have a detrimental effect on young plant shoots and flowers. If the shoots can recover (new ones will grow instead of the frozen ones), then the death of the flowers will lead to a significant decrease in yield.