Between March 14-19, temperatures in Malatya plummeted to minus degrees (around -4 Celsius) which worried farmers and apricot packers and frost damage rumors started. Farmers pulled their goods from the market and packers, exporters stopped offers for a couple days to see what’s going to happen and prices increased almost 30% due to low supply.
As officials did not make any announcement, we do not have exact figures yet. Frost damage is certain but we see that it is not a disaster like we had on 2014. Frost occurs every year in some regions of Malatya, so this one is not a surprise, the important thing is the level of damage on the crop. Frost we had in Malatya may be damaged around 30-40% of the total crop but we think this is the maximum harm for now.
Fortunately, temperatures increased last week and market is calm right now, offers started and dried apricot prices are back to their prior peak levels. We will be watching the market closely as the risk of frost will continue until the end of April and let you know about the updates. If you have an inquiry or need more details, please feel free to contact us.
Dried Apricots Weekly Export Figures Comparison
Prices
Average weekly export prices (US Dollar) of Whole Dried Apricots per metric ton compared to same week of last year.