Dried apricot

Türkiye aims to generate a total of $1.8 billion in dried fruit exports this year, as demand for such products is growing strong globally as they are increasingly seen as part of a healthy, nutritious diet.

Dried fruit exports climbed from $824 million in the first seven months of last year to $933 million in January-July 2024.

Dried apricot exports from Malatya, which was among the several provinces affected by the powerful earthquakes that hit Türkiye's south in early February, increased by 2 tons in the January-April period from a year ago.

Malatya accounts for 85 percent of the apricot production in the world.

Turkey exported 65,620 tons of dried apricots, produced in the eastern Malatya province, to 105 countries in the last eight months.

A $216 million revenue was generated from the exports of dried apricots which will contribute to both the country's economy and producers, said Ramazan Özcan, the head of the Malatya Commodity Exchange.

Once upon a time, the town of Melita was famous for its legendary fruit orchards. Even the name of Melita sounds delicious. This is the old name for Malatya, the unrivaled capital of apricots in Turkey, and the world in a way. The city produces 90 percent of all dried apricots exported from Turkey, which sums up to almost 80,000 tons worth $290.7 million.

The Central Anatolian province Malatya is not only Turkey’s, but one of the world’s most important apricot production centers. Check the origin of any dried apricot you buy abroad and it would probably be from Malatya.