Dried Apricot Exports Increase by 12% in the First Quarter of the Season
Forex - Turkey's dried apricot exports have demonstrated a successful trajectory in the first quarter of the 2024/25 season. In the first quarter, which began on August 1, 2024, Turkey's dried apricot exports reached 25,461 tons, with the foreign currency earnings from these exports increasing by 12% from $112.8 million to $125.5 million.
Entering the 2024/25 season, Ege Exporters' Associations Sustainability and Organic Products Coordinator and the President of the Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters' Association, Mehmet Ali Işık, stated that the dried apricot production in Malatya Province is projected to be 107,000 tons, with 7,000 tons in stock at the start of the season. He noted that the first quarter has been consistent with their export target of 100,000 tons for the 2024/25 season.
Recalling that the World Health Organization included dried apricots in its list of healthy foods, Işık said, “Dried apricots are rich in antioxidants, helping to lower cholesterol, nourish muscles, and support digestive health. This year, weather conditions have increased dried apricot production. We will focus on fairs, TURQUALITY, and UR-GE Projects, sectoral trade delegations, and buyer committees to enhance the added value of our dried apricots. In line with our Ministry of Trade's Strategy for Distant Countries, we will concentrate on remote markets such as the United States, India, Australia, China, Japan, Brazil, and South Korea. We will continue to work in a coordinated manner with our producers, traders, exporters, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Research Institutes, Ministry of Trade, and universities to ensure that Turkish apricots receive the value they deserve.”
The highest demand for Turkish apricots comes from the USA, Germany, and France. President Işık shared that the Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters' Association maintains its leadership with a share of $49 million in dried apricot exports, summarizing the top export markets as follows: “The United States continues to lead in dried apricot exports with a value of $21.3 million, followed by $11 million to Germany and $10 million to France. Brazil follows with $6.8 million and Algeria with $6 million.”
In the first quarter of the 2024/25 season, notable increases were observed in dried apricot exports from Turkey to China, Algeria, India, and Kazakhstan. Exports to China surged by 356%, rising from $1 million to $4.7 million, while exports to Algeria skyrocketed by 1,329%, jumping from $418,000 to $6 million. Turkey exported $900,000 worth of dried apricots to India in the first quarter of the 2023/24 season, increasing its exports to $3 million with a growth of 221% in the first quarter of the 2024/25 season. During the same period, exports to Kazakhstan also rose by 143%, moving from $1.5 million to $3.8 million.