ISTANBUL

Turkey's hazelnut exports reached 159,439 tons in the first six months of the export season, a regional trade union announced on Tuesday.

The September-February figure was down 27.5% from the same period in the last season, the Black Sea Hazelnut and Hazelnut Products Exporters' Union said.

Hazelnut exports earned Turkey $1.12 billion from last September to this February, a 21.6% drop year-on-year.

Some 42.6% of the country's hazelnut exports were processed products worth $478.9 million, while the rest were raw hazelnuts.

The EU remained the top export market for Turkish hazelnut with 116,881 tons in the first six months of this season, which starts in September and ends in August.

Turkey is the world's largest hazelnut exporter.