WALNUT
Walnut production in Argentina
Cultivation of walnut has a renewed interest as new varieties and modern techniques of intensive attractive management techniques offer:
Security: A fruit well known in whole Argentina, durable and with a high commercial value.
Precocity: Californian Varieties that produce by the end of 3 years.
Performance: The maximum output is obtained at the 6th year, reaching over 6,000 Kg. /Ha using micro propagated plant in a framework of 7m. x 5m.
Rusticity: Adaptation to diverse climates and soils.
Profitability: High productivity/Ha. Rapid amortization.
Demand: Argentina imports 2000 Ton/year and its current production is of medium quality.
Walnut… Where and Who?
Actually, there is a huge number of agribusiness companies, land owners and investors who are seeking new alternatives to their traditional crops, or wish to start a cultivation with more favorable economic possibilities. An enormous surface of land, because of it is landform or because it is far away from cultivated areas where sowing and harvesting machine go easily, presents itself as a good opportunity of new cultivatable areas.
A considerable extension of land with very good soil, enough water supply and adequate climate not suitable for the cultivation of traditional fruit trees, because of the risk of early spring freezes meet the demand of low cost land and enterprisers interested in investments in the medium and long run profit.
A good number of people are looking forward to initiate an activity that they will enjoy during their retirement whereas unworried by economic factors. These four factors
The Walnut: Why…?
In extensive annual crops, the variability of prices of the traditional agricultural products –caused by factors that can’t be controlled by the land owners or producers, cause an instability hard to foresee with the consequent economic damage difficult to repair. Walnut production stands here too as an excellent response to the needs of both land owners and producers.
Walnut production in Argentina turns most adequate to the necessary reconversion and diversification of agriculture. Actual walnut production in Argentina, itself is still in the first steps of replanting. Several other factors will be increasing the demand: One of them come out from the health benefits, which range from cardiovascular protection to the promotion of better cognitive function. It brings anti-inflammatory benefits helpful in asthma, rheumatoid arthritis as well as in skin diseases. Its elegiac acid supports the immune system and seems to have anti-cancer properties.
Walnut trees are highly prized as an ornamental choice because of its beauty.
All these reasons increase the demand, which will be probably growing, both from local and international market. In December 2006, Mintel, a grobal market research firm, reported that walnut snack sakes in Europe doubled the past five years and increased 89% over the previous year.
The harvest of this dry fruit has an evident advantage over the harvest of other fruit trees and storing of walnuts require much less care than the other fruit.
Argentina produces now 6,000 Ton by year, and consumes about 9,000 Tn. It should be added that, as stated before, that Argentine production is in the early stage of replacing the old walnut orchard of varieties of low demand by young and new varieties meeting the actual demand
All of this without considerating the possibilities of prices and demand for exporting, being the European Union one of the most important destinations, with prices starting in € 3.50 Euro/Kg and more.
In simple terms, the new varieties of walnut trees begin to produce fruit in the 3rd year and in the 5th year, an hectare can produce 4.500 kg per year while in the 7th year it will have produced about 6.000 kg. What other crop can produce such high yields and rentability? Furthermore, in surfaces large enough the use of harvest machine reduce the cost of hand harvest labor
Why so litle production?
1) One of the main reasons is that in Argentina there most wanut mount consist of old local varieties (“variedad criolla”). These plants, are tall and this make agricultural activities (fertilizing, fito-sanitary treatment, pruning, harvesting) somehow difficult. Their fruit do not meet the actual demand , as they are difficult to crack, small and of a small percentage of pulp. Today varieties are much higher yields and earlier bearing and have revolutioned walnut production as they also make the typical activities of walnut culture easier.
2) Information of the new techniques of walnut culture and the new varieties have been known recently in our country as they haven’t have enough diffusion. Most producers still think of the walnut as a forestal species which requires a lot of time for bearing with a density of between 80 to 100 trees per hectare rather than an agroforestal species. Walnut culture has been considered as an activity where one generation plants the trees; another gets the shade. It is still considered as a plant suitable for very cold climates. Nowadays, there are varieties which require 300 a 400 cold hours per year. In fact, the state of California is the major walnut producer and its climate doesn’t differ much from the climate of many provinces of Argentina
Walnut culture: More profitable in Argentina than in California?
The cost of production in California is higher. Plants cost u$d 14-16 and the cost of and manual labor cost is higher. If walnut culture is profitable in California may even be more profitable in Argentina. Furthermore, there’s no need of exporting as local demand is really high in Argentina.
Walnut … achieving maximum productivity to get maximum profitabilty
A good management of the walnut is to combine the planting of walnut varieties for fruit with the walnut for timber species. Interplanting not grafted trees with grafted trees will help the former to compete with the latter and grow straight and tall, resulting in wood of better quality and price. In fifteen years, walnut fruit trees (that will have yielded 30.000 to 50.000 kg /ha) can be extracted. Five years later, walnut timber trees can be extracted and timber sold at a very good price, approximately 2.000 €/m3 with a yield of 1,3 m3.
In addition, in Argentina, several laws promote the investment in foresty, establishing a fiscal and exchange rate stability, an economic non-refundable support and very favorable tax treatment for projects in this sector.

Concepto [hectar]	Estandar [7 x 7]: 100 plantas	Intensivo [3 x 3]: 200 plantas
Tierra en blanco	U$S 5000	U$S 5000
Costo de implantado	U$S 2500	U$S 3500
Costo de trabajo anual	U$S 4000	U$S 5000
Capitalizacion 3 año	U$S 15000	U$S 20000
Capitalizacion 10 año	U$S 30000	U$S40000
Produccion Neta 3 año	U$S 1000	U$S 1500
Produccion Neta 6 año	U$S 1500	U$S 3000
Produccion Neta 10 años	U$S 6000	U$S 10000