NJ S4593

Designates the hazelnut as the official State nut of New Jersey, effective immediately upon enactment.

Recognizes Rutgers University's 1996 research program that developed hazelnut varieties resistant to eastern filbert blight, a fungal disease that previously prevented commercial hazelnut cultivation on the East Coast.

Notes that Rutgers released four disease-resistant hazelnut varieties in 2020 named "Raritan," "Somerset," "Monmouth," and "Hunterdon" after New Jersey locations.

Acknowledges New Jersey as the first East Coast state to commercially grow hazelnuts, with more than 30 growers cultivating over 100 acres of trees in the state.

Cites the economic significance of the multi-billion-dollar hazelnut industry, with U.S. production previously limited to Oregon's Willamette Valley accounting for only 5% of worldwide production.