Today, every gardener can become a very successful businessman. The main thing is to have space, fertile plant varieties, a client base and desire. In this article we will look at one of the promising ideas for small businesses, which is based on high-yielding walnut varieties. To implement our business idea, we will need appropriate theoretical knowledge. It would be a good idea to study the varieties available in the country in advance. Choose the most suitable ones in terms of yield and ability to grow in a particular region. Under natural conditions, the lifespan of a tree’s productivity is 300 years (0.5 tons of nuts). In some cases, a tree can produce nuts for half a century (one tree produces 50 kg of nuts). This feature of trees is noteworthy in that such a business can be passed on from generation to generation, that is, become a family business for several generations. Basically, walnut varieties are perennial plants that can withstand cold weather well. A striking example is the varieties that were created by Belarusian breeders.

Such entrepreneurship is passive. It does not require significant active action. All the work consists of planting trees and subsequently caring for them. However, to obtain a solid income, high-yielding varieties that will be suitable for specific climatic conditions will be required. The level of profitability in this business directly depends on the yield. As practice has shown, low-yielding varieties do not allow reaching a positive level of profitability in the first years. This situation can be corrected only through fertile varieties. The main share of walnuts grown on the planet comes from America. In this country, farmers receive more than 3 tons of nuts per 1 hectare. If you calculate the mass of pure kernels, you get about 1.5 tons. Naturally, each variety will differ in its yield.

What are the benefits of walnuts?

Business development is facilitated by the annually growing demand for walnuts. There are no problems in such a business with sales channels. The high demand for nuts is easy to explain; they are indispensable for medicine and pharmacology. We must not forget about their medicinal effect; the usefulness of nuts has been proven by many scientists around the world; they are still widely used in folk medicine.

Let's return from America to Europe. Walnuts are no less in demand here.

Doctors recommend consuming at least 3.6 kg of nuts per year. It has been proven that nuts stimulate brain activity and are a rich source of iodine. Among the vitamins in nuts there is a lot of vitamin E - youth. As you know, this vitamin is positively associated with potency. Nuts are also rich in protein, fats, microelements and macroelements. The nutrients in nuts are in a form accessible to our body, so they are easily absorbed.

Expert opinion

Roman Efremov

It is worth adding a few words about the features of running such a business. Your own business growing walnuts can bring significant dividends and will generate a stable income. Among the key advantages of this business are:

1. Low organization costs. The most significant expense item will be the purchase or rental of land for planting walnuts. If the user has his own plot of land and lives in a rural area, then the only expenses will be the purchase of seedlings, fertilizers and harvesting machines.
2. Unpretentiousness of plants. Some walnut varieties are characterized by their ability to tolerate various unfavorable factors, including drought, frosty winters and sudden temperature changes.
3. No need for expensive care. The trees rarely get sick and are characterized by fairly high yields. The walnut is not afraid of the attention of birds, since not every beak is able to cope with a hard shell.
4. Ease of storing fruits. In order for the nut to retain its taste characteristics and not deteriorate, it is necessary to ensure storage in a dry, isolated room with minimal ambient humidity. In such conditions, nuts can be stored for years, which is a big advantage.
5. Lack of strong competition. The nut business is not in great demand. This is mainly explained by the misconception of Russian farmers that walnuts are not suitable for our climate, as well as a rather long payback period for investments. With the right approach, a businessman who decides to start growing nuts is quite capable of becoming a full-fledged monopolist in the region of his residence.
6. High demand. There will be no problems with the sale of products. Especially if you export nuts to EU countries, where, according to statistical reports, there is an annual shortage of 100 thousand tons of useful product.

1. The need for investment. Despite the fact that organizing a business does not require large expenses in comparison with other forms of entrepreneurship, starting up capital is still required to grow walnuts.
2. The need for expensive equipment. The entrepreneur will have to worry about purchasing various harvesting equipment, arranging a drainage system, and transportation machines. You will also need to arrange a storage room in which the fruits will be stored.
3. Long payback period. After planting, the walnut will begin to bear fruit only after 4-5 years, but the tree will reach its maximum yield in its 10th year of life. Of course, the business will pay off, but this will require waiting quite a long time.

The best varieties of walnuts

Expert opinion

Roman Efremov

Work experience: 5 years. Specialization: all areas of jurisprudence.

When choosing a suitable variety for cultivation, you need to focus on the following factors:

1. Frost resistance. Considering the realities of the Russian climate, this is one of the most important nuances, since growing varieties that do not have this characteristic in our country would be wasteful.
2. Ripening time. Some varieties begin to bear fruit already at 3-4 years of age, while others - at 7-8 years. It is quite natural that to organize a business you need to give preference to those varieties that are characterized by rapid ripening.

High-yielding varieties are numerous. Every year, specialists create new, more productive varieties that are resistant to adverse factors. Among the high-yielding varieties, the Ideal variety should be highlighted. At the age of 20 years, this variety is capable of producing about 120 kg. The fruit shape is standard. The yield of kernels is about 60 kg, that is, half of the total mass. This variety already in the first years of cultivation surpasses other varieties in yield.

The first harvest occurs in the second year of the plant's life. For comparison, plants of other varieties begin to produce crops from the age of 4 years. Advice: if you set out to purchase planting material of this particular variety, then opt for 5-year-old seedlings. Among other things, Ideal nuts are superior to other nuts in taste. This is a cold-resistant plant - can withstand temperatures of -35 degrees. Therefore, this variety is quite suitable for cultivation in the northern regions of the country. The advantage of this variety is also its resistance to a number of diseases. It should be noted that many high-yielding varieties have been created based on the Ideal variety. As practice has shown, it is much more rational to grow not one variety, but several. If one of them produces a poor harvest, it is likely that the second variety will compensate for it.

The second highly productive walnut variety is the Giant variety. It will perfectly complement the first variety on the site, since the Giant’s nuts ripen later. In comparison with Ideal, nuts of this variety first appear at 5-6 years. The giant is distinguished by its tall stature and intensive growth. The weight of the fruit is about 30 g. From one hectare, the Giant brings an average of 30 centners of nuts. There are a number of other varieties that are suitable for our country, but we have already described the best.

Advice: when choosing a variety, your main guideline should be the quality of the fruit. Only in this case will it be possible to talk about high demand for them

It is desirable that when growing varieties, the principle of an ideal quality/yield ratio is observed. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the quality of the core primarily depends on its size. The larger the core diameter, the higher the quality. On average, the diameter of the nuts is within 3.5 cm. Among the quality indicators, the thickness of the shell is important. An equally important indicator is the fullness of the nut with the kernel. Varieties that produce insufficiently filled nuts are subject to rejection. The ease of removing the core should also be taken into account. In this regard, the most valuable varieties are those that produce fruits with thin shells. They are the ones that buyers prefer. In California, varieties with very thin shells have been obtained. Such a shell is often called “paper”. The name of the miracle variety is “Sayta Rosa Soft Shell”. This variety is characterized by high productivity, which confirms the prospects for its cultivation. There is also a disadvantage to the Californian variety - it is susceptible to attacks by birds. The kernels are very accessible. But if you take measures to prevent birds from approaching the trees, then this variety will show very impressive results. Organoleptic quality indicators include the color of the kernel. Nuts whose kernels are light in color are in great demand. In this case, there should be no such issues as stains, corrosion, or fungi. Don't forget about taste. No matter how attractive the kernels look, they will be of little interest to potential buyers if they are tasteless.

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Walnut growing technology

Regardless of the variety, it is unrealistic to obtain a high yield without following cultivation technology. All varieties will require a drainage system. In this case, all varieties will grow and produce crops on any soil. Rainwater remaining on the soil surface for a long time indicates a high clay content. Such soil blocks the access of moisture to the root system, which negatively affects the yield. This problem can be solved; in particular, clay soil must be enriched with compost, manure, and peat. In the process of growing nuts, the following activities will be mandatory: removal of weeds, plowing of the soil, cultivation, application of fertilizers. As trees grow, the amount of fertilizer applied should be increased. In order to save money, reduce manual labor and time, it is worth choosing the most suitable areas for growing nuts.

If your garden has fertile soil, then trees can be planted using the square method - 5 x 5 m (taking into account the shape of the crown, variety, etc.). If the soil is infertile, then the distance between the trees increases - 7 x 7 m. The orientation of the rows of trees is from north to south. Only in this case will the optimal angle of incidence of sunlight on the trees be ensured. Accordingly, the orientation of the landing holes is similar. Recommended dimensions of the pit for planting: depth 0.8 m, diameter – 0.4 m. Before direct planting, the seedlings must be kept in water for two days. Let's assume that the pits are ready. Fertilizers must be placed in them. Recommended fertilizer composition: humus - up to 15 kg, phosphorus fertilizers - up to 60 g, potassium fertilizers - up to 30 g. This composition is mixed with soil and filled with water (40 l). If the soil is light, then measures must be taken to retain water. When planting seedlings, make sure that the necks of their roots are above the ground. The hole must be tightly filled. A prerequisite is the presence of a groove around the seedling. All that remains is to water the seedling.

How and to whom to sell walnuts

The demand for walnuts is high and is growing every year. Every person knows about the beneficial properties of this delicacy. Everyone recognizes a walnut. According to statistics, the population of Europe annually receives less than 100 thousand tons of nut kernels. This state of affairs guarantees that your nuts will be in demand. The implementation of our business idea does not require significant initial investment. The profitability of the business is high. After planting the seedlings, you will not need to spend a lot of time and effort. As the practice of experienced gardeners has shown, every 5 years the increase in income is almost 50%. Of course it all depends on the variety. If 7-year-old plants grow in your garden, then each of them, with proper care, can produce 17 kg of nuts. Up to two hundred trees coexist on a plot of 1 hectare. It is easy to calculate that 3.4 tons of nuts will be obtained from this area. Unshelled nuts today cost an average of $1.5 per 1 kg. In this situation, the level of profitability at the end of the first year will already be positive. The amount of income will increase annually. Our example shows that 5 thousand dollars will be received in a year. 5 years will pass and the amount of profit received per year will be 7.25 thousand dollars. Over the next 5 years, income will grow by 45%. Thus, we see that if you have a small plot, you can implement a very profitable business, which, if desired, will be continued by children and grandchildren.

As in other types of business, a lot depends on ourselves. The most successful businessmen on the planet advise constantly improving and developing your business. You can't stop after achieving one goal. For example, you began to make a solid profit from 200 plants. Financial independence has been achieved, comfort in life has increased. However, we should move on, expand the area, plant more seedlings. The goal must always be present.

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There are about 30-40 populations of nuts on the globe. Walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, peanuts (groundnuts), coconut and pine nuts are the most common types that are best known to us. The existence of nuts has been known since the Stone Age. They contain microelements, vitamins, easily digestible proteins, carbohydrates and amino acids necessary for human health. We can talk endlessly about the beneficial properties of nuts. A useful product is in wide demand, has a decent price, and with such a profitable product it is not difficult to build a profitable nut business. The plan for this business is quite simple - purchase various types in bulk, peel, fry, package in beautiful packaging and sell the finished product. Income can be 30% or more.

First you need to research the sales market. Nuts are widely used in cooking, so it is advisable to arrange delivery to confectionery shops, cafes, restaurants and other catering establishments. You can also supply goods to markets, you can discuss the supply of packaged nuts to shops and supermarkets in the city, or you can organize your own retail outlet or your own online store. If you plan to develop the business on a larger scale, then it is possible to export walnuts to Europe, where the demand for it is about 100 thousand tons per year.

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Making money from walnuts

Let's consider the costs and payback of the walnut business. There may be three options: selling collected free-growing wild nuts, selling nuts purchased at a low price from the population, or selling your own grown nuts. As you know, walnuts are not frost-resistant, so they grow mainly in the southern regions of Russia, therefore, it is recommended to purchase or grow walnuts there. As your business develops further, you can consider purchasing from Central Asia or Ukraine.

Often walnut trees grow on their own along roads or in a nearby forest. You can harvest from them yourself or with the help of local residents by advertising in the local newspaper and organizing a collection point. The average wholesale price of unshelled walnuts when purchasing is 50 rubles per kg. The price depends on the abundance of nuts in the region and can be much lower. Next you need to free them from the shell. This can be done either on your own or by involving neighborhood boys who want to earn extra money in this activity. To get 5 kg of peeled nuts, you need to process about 10 kg of unshelled nuts. The price of nuts in supermarkets in winter ranges from 150 to 350 rubles. per kg, i.e. on average - 250 rubles.

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Payback of walnuts

Let's make some simple approximate calculations. Let's say you purchased 100 kg of nuts for 50 rubles. They paid 15 rubles for cleaning the shell. per kg. We spent 500 rubles on packaging. In total, all costs amounted to about 5000 + 1500 + 500 = 7000 rubles. The yield of the purified kernel was 50 kg, which was sold for 200 rubles. Thus, from 100 kg the income is 3,000 rubles. If you work yourself, the profit will be greater. Walnut kernels can be sold raw or roasted. Here you should take into account additional investments in purchasing a frying oven, but the price for fried kernels will increase significantly. Additional income can also be generated by the sale of shells and membranes to pharmaceutical companies and beauty salons.

If you want to work for the long term, and you have the financial start-up capital, then consider starting a walnut orchard. Investments in planting a garden were made per 1 hectare. Plowing the land - 6,000 rubles, preparing planting holes - 3,000 rubles, purchasing 100 pcs. seedlings - 30,000 rubles, transportation costs for delivery of seedlings and their planting - 2,500 rubles. Watering and caring for seedlings per year costs about 15,000-20,000 rubles. It is necessary to take into account the costs of renting land and protecting the site. Starting from the age of 5, the costs of protecting seedlings can be reduced due to its irrationality. The need for protection will be only 2-3 months a year during the fruiting period.

Trees begin to bear fruit around the 3rd year, but in full force - in the 5th-6th year. From 100 seedlings you can expect 2-4 tons of nut harvest, depending on the variety of seedlings and natural conditions. Every year the yield will increase by about 20%. The amount of harvest will be significantly influenced by climatic conditions - during frosts, some of the flower stalks die, which affects the fruit set. Profit from walnuts is guaranteed for decades.

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Payback of pine nuts

If the southern region of Russia is optimally suited for the walnut business, then the north is optimally suited for pine nuts. These “tough nuts” do not have to be grown; mother taiga is rich in them, and they are classified as wild plants. Local residents go to the cedar harvest in September and, before the first deep snow, collect pine cones, shell the nuts from them and sell them in bulk to entrepreneurial buyers. If you decide to collect cedar cones yourself, you will need to purchase a forest ticket, which allows you to collect up to 50 kg free of charge, and above - 3 rubles. per kg. Counting on making money from pine nuts, you can go in two ways: buy pine cones, process them and hand over clean nuts to wholesalers, or you can go further - fry pine nuts, pack them and sell them, or peel them, obtaining a kernel, and sell the pine nut kernels themselves.

Cost estimates (average figures; in each region they may vary in one direction or another depending on your entrepreneurial spirit):

• rental of premises - the price is purely individual;
• purchase of cones - 2,000 rubles. per bag;
• purchase of a plant for processing pine cones into nuts - 50,000 rubles;
• service for processing cedar cones (if you do not have your own equipment) - one bag (50 kg) of cones - 25 rubles. Keep in mind that losses after processing are no more than 3-5%;
• drying chamber - from 270 thousand rubles. up to 500 thousand rubles;
• vacuum packaging machine - 45,000 rubles;
• The cost range for ready-made, assembled workshops for processing pine nuts per kernel is from 1.5 million rubles. up to 11 million rubles depending on productivity per shift;
• price for 1 kg of unshelled pine nuts - 250 rubles;
• the price for 1 kg of peeled cedar kernel is 800-1000 rubles.

Necessary documents for engaging in business activities in nuts: registration of a private entrepreneur, certificates of conformity of product quality.

Walnut is a plant whose fruits are highly valued in many industries due to their unique and beneficial properties. The price for this product on the market is high, especially for nuts without shells. Growing nuts as a business can be an interesting investment and occupation for more than one generation of the family.

Where to begin?

I would like to immediately note that agricultural business is not an easy task, as it might seem at first glance.

To grow walnuts, you will first need land and a small area is not suitable for such an activity.

In Russia, walnuts are rarely grown in plantations due to widespread rumors about the unsuitable climate. There are types of nuts that are resistant to climate change and severe frost.

Walnuts drying in the sun

Another nuance that scares many people away when entering this type of business is the long-term return on investment. Investments will be considerable, and the walnut tree will produce its first fruits only after about 5 years.

Over these years, the plantation will require constant care and monitoring. You will have to spend money on fertilizers, organizing irrigation and security. Not everyone is ready to wait that long for profit, so you first need to decide this issue for yourself.

After the decision is made, it is necessary to formalize the status of a legal entity in the form of an individual entrepreneur or a limited liability company. Choosing the status of an individual entrepreneur or LLC is based on the taxation and accounting system that is convenient for a businessman.

Walnut packed in bags

Beginning businessmen often prioritize the question of the distribution channel for future products, which is their mistake. There will be no problems with selling products due to little competition in the market and high demand. In the first years, you need to pay attention directly to the plantation, the quality of the future product and its care.

It is better to purchase land rather than rent it, since trees may begin to bear fruit later than planned.

How profitable is it to grow walnuts?

Walnuts are used not only as a product, but also for cosmetic and medicinal purposes.

A variety of creams and oils include walnuts. This product is also widely used in the confectionery industry.

As a result, about 15-20 kg of unpeeled fruits can be obtained from one tree.

Peeled fruit costs on average about $5 per kilogram, and unpeeled fruit is half the price.

On a plantation of about 1 hectare, it would be optimal to plant about 150 trees. As a result, from one harvest, the plantation will bring an approximate profit of $10,000.

Walnut shells can also be sold, which can reduce the cost of caring for the plantation and harvesting.

Registration

The registration of a future business depends on the area of ​​land that the businessman plans to use for planting trees.

If the area is less than 1 hectare, then the sale and cultivation of nuts can be considered as a personal subsidiary plot.

If the area is greater than or equal to 1 hectare, then it is necessary to register the status of a legal entity and pay taxes. In any case, if you plan to sell shelled nuts in the future, then it is better to open an individual entrepreneur or LLC and work officially.

When registering an enterprise of this type, the simplified taxation system (STS) is most often chosen.

Land lease

Land for organizing a walnut plantation can not only be purchased, but also rented. As a rule, land for agricultural planting costs less than land for construction and can be rented for a long period. Choose an area of ​​at least 1 hectare, otherwise the costs of maintaining the plantation will not pay off.

The soil should be light loamy, turf or sandy loam. Trees love the sun and do not tolerate high humidity or, conversely, drought.

When organizing space on a future site, do not forget to take into account the need to organize a warehouse. If this is not possible, then you can also rent a room for storing nuts.

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Purchasing seedlings

Nuts can be grown from either seedlings or seeds.

It is more difficult to grow a tree from seeds, although a plant grown this way bears fruit better.

It is not always possible for a sprout to break through a thick shell and sprout.

An excellent option would be to purchase ready-made seedlings, which you can choose from species adapted to the desired climatic conditions. The most common types of walnuts are:

• The ideal is frost-resistant and has a large core weight.
• Aurora is a species whose fruit ripens quickly.
• Elegant - tolerates dry weather well and is little susceptible to disease.
• Dessert – bears fruit early and ripens.
• Fruitful - resistant to frost and begins to bear fruit in the 3rd year after planting.

Before purchasing, you should decide on the type of nut that will feel most comfortable in the existing climatic conditions.

Do not buy seedlings on the market, but purchase them only from official nurseries. This eliminates the possibility of purchasing a low-quality and unfruitful tree.

Sales market

After many years of waiting and harvesting, the question arises about distribution channels for the products.

Peeled nuts are more expensive, but you will have to purchase special machines to crack the nuts, or hire people to do it manually.

When cleaning manually, additional problems arise in the form of employee theft, which negatively affects the company’s budget.

To sell the collected nuts, you can consider the following marketing options:

• Wholesale sales to stores. At the same time, you can choose large hypermarkets in large cities, as well as small stores that also need similar products. With this approach, you will have to take care of your own packaging of the goods.
• Confectionery production. In this case, it is worth concluding an agreement for the supply of nuts with confectionery factories or bakeries.
• Pharmaceutical companies. Nuts are used for the production of medicines and drugs, so the supply of such goods at a favorable price will be of interest to these companies.
• Special reception points. In cities with large and medium populations, there are points where they accept nuts for sale abroad.
• Own store. You can sell nuts through your own store in the form of a retail outlet or online sales. It is better to consider this method of selling goods as complementary to all others.

During sale, nuts must be stored in an organized warehouse, which will be kept warm and dry.

It is better to take care in advance to ensure that nuts are not accessible to rodents and other animals. When properly stored, nuts retain their presentation and properties for a long time.

Profitability of production

The idea of ​​growing walnuts for subsequent sale sounds tempting and promising.

Such a plantation can serve as an excellent source of income during retirement.

Subsequent generations in the family will be able to continue this business, since many varieties of walnut trees have been growing for more than 100 years.

The organization of such an enterprise has high profitability due to the increased demand for products and the small supply on the market. Growing walnuts is a long-term investment that requires additional costs during the entire period of plant growth. As with any other business, there are certain risks associated with insufficient yields and unpredictable competition in the market after so many years.

Nut business – business plan

Before organizing your own walnut orchard, you should calculate the necessary investments and approximate indicators of the future business.

Let's look at a brief business plan for growing walnuts:

• Initial investments: rent/purchase of land (cost depends on the specific region), seedlings (from 200-400 rubles per piece), fertilizers, organization of a drainage system (provides timely access to moisture), wages to workers (protection and planting of seedlings), registration of individual entrepreneurs or OOO.
• Associated costs: machines for harvesting and cleaning nuts, warehouse space for storing nuts, workers' salaries, packaging, logistics for delivering nuts to the buyer.
• Approximate profit: $5 from a shelled nut, $1-2 – in shell, from 1 hectare of land the approximate income without deducting expenses is $10,000.
• Payback period: 5-7 years.
• The profitability of the nut business is quite high.

To summarize, we can say that a walnut growing business looks like a promising idea. Before you start organizing your own plantation, you need to realistically assess all possible difficulties in the form of features of growing and caring for plants, a long payback period and subsequent costs. This niche can be an excellent family business that will generate profits for many years.

Video on the topic

This fruit has long been famous for its range of vitamins and nutrients. Today there are many varieties of nuts. They have their own characteristics, taste, and different yield indicators.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the varieties that are better than others for growing in the country.

"Aurora"

The plant tolerates winter well and grows quite actively. The fruit core has a mass of 8-10 g. The shell is thin and breaks easily.

"Memory of Minov"

The fruits of this variety are quite large, the tree grows rapidly. Fruiting occurs according to the apical type. The first harvest begins to appear 5-6 years after planting. Resistant to brown spot.

The nuts are large in size, slightly flattened. Core weight – 15 g.

At the end of September you can start harvesting.

"Prykarpatsky"

The variety has high, stable yields and is relatively resistant to marsonia. The plant stands out with a large rounded crown. Fruit formation occurs on the apical buds.

The fruits are medium-sized - from 11 to 13 g, round in shape. The tree's yield is about 70 kg.

"Harvest"

The variety is represented by a rather tall tree - up to 6 m. It has a wide, oval crown. The first fruits appear three years after planting. The variety belongs to the mid-season group, and it is recommended to harvest at the end of September.