FRESH APRICOTS OF ELAZIĞ SEE HIGH DEMAND AS PRODUCTION DOUBLES...

Growing on the shores of Karakaya Dam Lake in Baskil district of Elazığ, fresh apricots, which are in high demand from the exporting companies with their distinct aroma and taste, increased the export share by 100 percent compared to last year and made producers happy.

Apricot varieties such as Hacıhaliloğlu, Hasanbey, Çataloğlu, and Kabaaşı that are specially grown on the shores of Karakaya Dam Lake in Baskil, a district which meets some 13 percent of Turkey's apricot production, are receiving more and more demand from exporters each year thanks to their unique aroma, taste and consistency.

Fresh apricot varieties grown in the district, where fresh apricot exports increased by 100 percent this year, it was around 12 thousand tons last year, are exported to EU countries, Ukraine, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea.

Exporters hire seasonal workers to gather the fresh apricots and transport them to factories in Malatya, a province in eastern Anatolia that is known as the center of the Turkish apricot industry.
Sorted and packaged here according to their quality, fresh apricots are pre-cooled and then exported in refrigerated vehicles.

Producers are happy to market the harvested apricots fresh, in order to save them from labour costs and make more profits.

Turan Karahan, Agriculture and Forestry Manager of Elazığ province, told Anatolian Agency correspondent that the annual production of 60 thousand tons of fresh apricots was made from 1 million trees in an area of 100 thousand decares in the region.