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1、Production and Marketing of Chestnuts in the Southeastern United States1Robert C. Hochmuth, Robert D. Wallace, Peter J. Van Blokland, and Jeffrey G. Williamson2This is a revised copy of the original document, An Introduction to Production, Marketing, and Economics of Growing Chestnuts in the South E
2、ast United Sates, by R.D. Wallace and P.J. VanBlockland. 1989. University of Florida, Dept of Food Resource Economics. Staff report. #354IntroductionChestnuts (Castanea sp.) are represented by several species of trees in the beech family (Fagaceae). The chestnut is native to warm, temperate areas th
3、e Northern Hemisphere.The United States is one of the few nations in the world that can grow chestnuts and does not have a significant commercial chestnut industry. Because the United States has such a small (less than 1 percent of world production) chestnut industry, chestnuts are imported to the U
4、nited States in quantities with total annual value exceeding $20 million. Development of new chestnuts cultivars, advances in propagation, and cultural techniques now allow for expansion of the commercial chestnut industry in the United States. Chestnuts may make a viable alternative crop for small
5、farmers in Florida who are looking to diversify their operations.HistoryFew tree crops have as much historical importance as a food source throughout the world as do chestnuts. Chestnuts were one of the earliest tree crops to be domesticated and were even mentioned in Chinese poetry more than 5000 y
6、ears ago. The European settlers of North America found the New World was virtually one solid chestnut forest. The American chestnut was once among the most common trees in the eastern forest, from Maine to Georgia and west to the Mississippi. This amazingly useful tree offers rot-resistant lumber, w
7、hich was used for several items, from fence posts to furniture. The chestnut tree was also a source of tannin, in addition to its beautiful crop of nuts. But the accidental introduction of the chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) from the Orient in 1904 killed almost every American chestnut in
8、 the United States in less than 40 years. The loss of the chestnut in the United States is considered one of the greatest botanical disasters in Western history. The chestnut industry is highly developed in Europe and in the Orient. The Republic of Korea and China are the top two countries for chest
9、nut production; together these countries produce more than 40 percent of the worlds chestnuts. Other major chestnut-producing countries include Italy, Turkey, Bolivia, Japan, Spain, and Portugal. The primary exporters of chestnuts to the United States are Italy, China, and The Republic of Korea. Che
10、stnut imports to the United States increased from 4,500 metric tons in 2003 to 5,400 metric tons in 2004, an increase that indicates the growing demand for chestnuts among U.S. consumers. The annual value of chestnuts imported to the United States is more than $20 million. The development of new Ame
11、rican x Chinese hybrid chestnut cultivars - which are resistant to chestnut blight and produce large, sweet nuts - have helped to make possible expansion of the domestic chestnut industry in the United States, including in Florida. The new chestnut cultivars have high-quality characteristics that co
12、mpete favorably with the imported nuts. However, the commercial U.S. chestnut industry is relatively new; most growers have less than 10 years of experience. Major states for chestnut production include California, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Florida, Ohio, and Virginia.Chestnut EconomicsChestnuts
13、 can be a productive and profitable orchard crop. Trees begin to bear after three to five years, and improved cultivars can, at maturity, produce from 1,000 - 1,500 pounds or more per acre every year. The nuts bring from $0.75-2.50 per pound wholesale, (depending on nut size) and $2-5.00 per pound r
14、etail, depending on the market. Marketing of domestic chestnuts has been primarily through local or direct market sales methods. Some American growers advertise fresh chestnuts via the Internet at prices of more than $10 per pound in small quantities, but this price includes FedEx or UPS shipping an
15、d handling. Local, direct-to-consumer sales may be up to $4.00 or 5.00 per pound, but such prices decrease considerably in sales to brokers, wholesalers, grocery chains, and other large markets. To move American-grown chestnuts in large quantities, prices must to be competitive with imported nuts, a
16、nd quality of American production must be superior to the quality to which foreign wholesale buyers and their American customers are accustomed. Chestnuts crops grown in the United States have the advantage of reaching American markets earlier than imported chestnuts, with better quality control, and without the costs of international shipping. However, the key to success in moving large quantities of chestnuts is through marketing, education of the consumer
