APRICOT HARVEST STILL CONTINUES IN MALATYA REGION...

Harvest activities in Malatya, home to 8 million out of the 17 million apricot trees in Turkey keep going.

AK Party Malatya Deputy Öznur Çalık, said in a statement, "Apricot is very important for the provincial economy, this fruit brings an annual income of 300 million dollars."

Stating that apricot also contributes to the regional economy, Çalık said that seasonal workers from surrounding provinces made money by collecting apricots for about 2 months.

Çalık recalled that a licensed warehouse will be established for apricot registered as a geographical sign in the European Union and said:

"After coming of the licensed warehouse here, we will be able to eliminate the problems related to pricing of the apricot producers. There is a problem with sulfur. Unfortunately our producers are having trouble determining the sulfur rate. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli gave instructions for the latest legislation. If apricot is no longer a traceable product, we will eliminate the problem of producers and traders. "

With the initiatives made in fruit juice, discarded apricot price rose, Çalık said that the return of discarded apricot in the city is 30 million liras.

We aim to export 110 thousand tons of dried apricots...

Malatya Commodity Exchange Chairman Ramazan Özcan stated that the harvest ended in regions at 600 altitude and but still continued at high altitudes.

Concluded that they had a good season, Özcan said:

"The quality of the product is good, this year's apricot yield is 390 thousand tons. Approximately 40 thousand tons of apricots are expected to be consumed as fresh. We plan to dry 350 thousand tons of apricots which corresponds to 87 thousand tons of dried apricots. Last season the export of 100 thousand tons of dried apricots achieved. This season we aim to export 110 thousand tons of dried apricots. We expect prices that will make the producer happy. We bring 22 million dollars revenue to this province every month. "