Page "Chestnut" Paragraph 34

A study of the sector in 2005 found that US producers are mainly part-timers diversifying an existing agricultural business, or hobbyists.

Another recent study indicates that investment in a new plantation takes 13 years to break even, at least within the current Australian market.

Starting a small-scale operation requires a relatively low initial investment ; this is a factor in the small size of the present production operations, with half of them being within 3 to.

Another predetermining factor in the small productivity of the sector is that most orchards have been created less than 10 years ago, so have young trees which are as now barely entering commercial production.

Assuming a yield for a 10 year-old tree is a reliable conservative estimate, though some exceptional specimens of that age have yielded.

So most producers earn less than $ 5, 000 per year, with a third of the total not having sold anything so far.