THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Türkiye has exported nearly 330 million dollars worth of apricots over the past five years, underscoring the importance of the fruit that has been among the most severely damaged by severe frost earlier this month.
The cold snap not only devastated apricots, but also caused significant harm to peaches, apples, nectarines, as well as crucial hazelnut and walnut harvests.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı recently visited the eastern province of Malatya, Türkiye’s leading apricot-producing region, where he confirmed visible damage to fruit trees.
Yumaklı said the government had launched recovery efforts aimed at restoring tree health and ensuring next year’s yield.
Türkiye exported 55.6 million dollars worth of apricots in 2020, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).
That figure rose to 61.8 million dollars in 2021 and peaked at 82.6 million dollars in 2022 before dropping to 58.6 million dollars in 2023. Shipments rebounded last year, jumping 20.4 percent to 70.6 million dollars.
Between 2020 and 2024, total exports reached 329.3 million dollars, with Russia being the top buyer, importing 179.4 million dollars worth of Turkish apricots.
Union of Turkish Chambers of Agriculture (TZOB) board member Yunus Kılıç, who looks after apricot crops in the Malatya Basin, described the frost damage as catastrophic.
“Malatya has been the hardest hit,” Kılıç told Anadolu Agency (AA). “Every single apricot tree in the province has been affected.”
Apricots are also cultivated in the neighboring provinces of Elazığ, Kahramanmaraş and Sivas. The region is home to approximately 13 million apricot trees, all of which have reportedly sustained damage…
