APRICOT KERNELS ARE THE NEW INCOME OF PRODUCERS IN MALATYA...

In Malatya, where most of the world's apricot production is realized, it is aimed to export 20 million dollars apricot kernel this year...

In addition to apricots, farmers in Malatya provide economic returns through their kernels.

8 thousand 600 tons of apricot kernel export made last year from the city and 18 million dollars had been obtained 18 million dollars. This year the export of 10 thousand tons of apricot kernel export  and 20 million dollars is expected to increase revenue.

Malatya Commodity Exchange President Ramazan Özcan said that in the first 6 months of the year 4 thousand 114 tons of apricot kernel was exported and 8 million 588 thousand dollars income was provided.

Özcan also pointed out that apricot is one of the rare export products that provide foreign exchange input with both fruit and kernel.

"There is a significant increase in apricot kernel prices compared to August 2018. Last year the price of kilograms of sulfuric rind kernel sold for 2 lira 20 kuruş has approached to 3 liras. Again last year the price of natural apricot kernel prices during the harvest was 4 liras, currently the price of a kilogram is over 5 liras 50 kuruş. In the first 6 months of this year, we exported approximately 4 thousand 200 tons of kernels and we obtained approximately 8 million 500 thousand dollars of revenue in return for this export. We expect an income of over 20 million dollars with this 10,000 tons" he said.


Özcan stated that Italy, Germany, Denmark, India, Morocco, Iraq, Russian Federation and Belgium are important countries in terms of apricot exports.

Expressing that high prices of almonds positively affect the sale of apricot kernel, Özcan noted:

"The increase in almond prices pushes consumers and importers to their equivalent ones. The greatest alternative to almonds is apricot kernel. At the moment when the apricot kernel is consumed, it is no longer equivalent and starts to compete with almonds in flavor and taste. consumption in the kernel will increase very quickly after that."

"Apricot kernel prices will change according to yields. There is a serious difference between this year's export capacity and our kernel yields. Therefore the increase in kernel prices is normal" he
concluded...