Ankara, July 14 - Turkey's government will pay a total 2.6 billion lira ($1.686 billion) to encourage hazelnut producers to shift to other products and reduce excess production, Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker said on Tuesday.
The government will pay 1.8 billion lira to the farmers who cultivate only on licensed areas, the minister said, adding that the state grain office TMO would not longer purchase hazelnuts.
Turkey expects 500,000 hazelnut prduction this year, and earns around $1.3 billion from hazelnut exports a year.