Turkish Apricot Update 18.06.24

Exports in May were 4,827 tons compared to 4,928 tons last year. Year-to-date exports are 60,319 tons compared to 72,813 tons last year. Exports were in line with expectations, and it's expected that the season will finish somewhere shy of 70,000 tons - a drop of around 20% this year. Prices of the current crop have drifted lower despite tight supply due to expectations of a normal crop for 2024.

The usual survey of major growing regions was carried out during the beginning of June. Based on the results, it's expected that crop size will return to normal after several years of short crops. Some key observations from the survey show that the Haci Halil variety of trees has moderate to heavy yields in small and medium-sized fruit. The quality of the fruit looks good with minimal blemishes, and the health of trees is looking much healthier than last year.

While harvest will start on time at the tail end of June, there may be challenges due to a lack of labour following the earthquake that occurred last year. Costs have risen significantly due to inflation and may take longer than expected to fall. Farmers are already indicating resistance, and many will hold on until spring.

via Agrimax