Season is on for hazel nuts! People are going jungles, collecting these nuts in this month of August. Seeing the bumper crop the previous year people are also expecting good harvest this season too.
After gathering, these will be dried up! And then after that selling will be done!
But same question again! Whether buyers are there?
It is not tough for a trader in Paddar to get these nuts in quintals!
What is needed though is a pragmatic approach & agri-cooperatives can play a game-changing role in this direction. A small processing industrial unit in Padder can be a boon to the poor farmers so that they don’t have to dry up their crop for anticipating some prospect buyers from outside their locality.
So far only local businessmen deal with it. Purchasing it Rs. 250-300/kg.
To the east we have Pangi (subdivision of Chamba district) and Himachal Pradesh often seek GI tag for “Pangi Ki Thangi”.
Looking at the familiar terrain and proximity to the region, we in Paddar are not giving attention to it. How sad!
I really know nothing about the quality of Paddri hazelnuts.
I have just listened from some friends that these are not in great demand in the market. The low demand in the market can be attributed to the lack of awareness among the traders and businessmen regarding the production and supply of these nuts. Most of the well to do traders do not know about the availability in local areas and they procure these nuts from other States or even get it from imports.
At the same time some of my friends in Paddar are ready to gather quintals of it if they get buyers by the end of September. Many people do not see this as a lucrative enterprise as they do not find some promising buyers nor do they have access to the market where they can sale out the stuff for some reasonable monies.
Known for their high Omega-3 content and antioxidants these hazelnuts (Thanguli-local name) are widely used in Paddar. Paddaries often purchase it for personal use. We often gift these nuts to our guests and people we adore.
I hope one day these will get their due place.
