In the first 3 months of the new export season, 28 thousand 675 thousand tons of dried apricots were exported from Malatya, where the highest apricot production is made in the world, and an income of $111 million 988 thousand was obtained.
Malatya apricot, which has geographical indication registration in the European Union (EU), increases the income obtained with the increase in export figures.
In the city where there are about 8 million of the 17 million apricot trees in Turkey, around 50 thousand families earn their living from this product.
Ramazan Ozcan, Chairman of Malatya Commodity Exchange, said that the income obtained with the export figures of dried apricots in the first 3 months of the new season is pleasing.
Reminding that the new export season started as of August 1, Ozcan stated that dried apricot exports continue in a rapid manner.
Ozcan stated that they closed their August and September exports with very good numbers and that the October figures were in line with the expectations, and said, “We are faced with a picture that makes both the country’s economy and Malatya smile in October. By exporting 8,897 tons of dried apricots in October, we contributed $37 million 753 thousand to the country’s economy. Malatya is in a very good spot as the world’s dried apricot capital, and we are receiving very serious demand. We transfer the demands quickly by converting them into exports.”
BOTH RATE AND REVENUE INCREASED
Noting that there were significant increases in both export figures and revenue compared to the previous season, Ozcan continued as follows:
“In the first 3 months of the last season, we achieved a revenue of $82 million 291 thousand in return for 25 thousand 342 tons of exports. When we look at the first 3 months of this season, we exported 28 thousand 675 thousand tons of dried apricots in August, September and October and earned $111 million 988 thousand. There is an increase of approximately 3 thousand tons compared to the same period of the previous season. The increase in export volume and income makes us happy. In the dried fruit group, apricot has been a very stable period in recent years, and investments have turned apricot into a strategic and prestige product.”
Source: Haberturk / Translated by Irem Yildiz