Farmers' Decision-Making on Kiwi Production as an Alternative to Hazelnut by Value Chain Analysis: A Case Study from Turkiye

The product harvested from the field has to pass through certain stages before it reaches consumers, as harvested or subjected to a processing process. These stages are interconnected, interactive, and resemble a chain. Actors such as brokers, processors, wholesalers, and retailers are involved in the marketing channel and constitute a link in the value chain. Value chain analysis is important to ensure and monitor development in the agricultural sector. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare production decisions of hazelnut and kiwi crops in carsamba, one of the most important plains of Turkiye, through value chain analysis. The surveys were conducted with 40 hazelnut and 40 kiwi producers in the region. In addition, the data for the study were obtained through interviews with hazelnut factories and vegetable sales markets. The agricultural producers included in the scope of the research were determined purposefully based on production intensity. The findings showed that shelled hazelnuts, which are purchased from the producer for $ 2.5 , reach the consumer for $ 8.5. Kiwi, on the other hand, is purchased from the producer for $ 0.42-0.50 and reaches the consumer for an average of $ 1.15. The producer's share of the value added in the hazelnut value chain is 20.0%, while the producer's share of the total value added in the kiwi value chain is 36.9%. The results clearly revealed that kiwi is an alternative crop to hazelnuts in the study area.