TURKISH AGRI.NEWS

Turkey is known as a top producer and exporter of apricots, both fresh and dried, and Malatya province in eastern Anatolia is dubbed the apricot capital, accounting for 90 percent of the country's apricot exports. It is one of the fruits Turkey is best known for in the world. Apricots are collected from about 8 million trees in Malatya. Meeting some 80 percent to 85 percent of the world's dried apricot production alone, Malatya exported apricots to 112 countries in the latest export season with 99,461 tons of dried apricots from Aug. 1, 2018 to July 31 this year. Turkish apricots earned a coveted EU geographical indication in July 2017, a registration that helps unique products be protected, marketed and advertised. It was the third Turkish product to get this EU designation after Gaziantep baklava, a rich, sweet pastry featured in many cuisines of the former Ottoman countries, and the Aegean fig. Apricot exports generated $251 million in revenue during the export season,...

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 li...

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 pr...