Back at the end of March 2021, EastFruit analysts forecasted a low apricot harvest in Uzbekistan, high prices and a sharp drop in its exports in the 2021 season due to weather anomalies – a sharp warming in winter and subsequent frosts in late February and mid-March. In most regions of the republic, the damage to the current apricot harvest caused by two waves of frost was estimated from 40% to 90% of the potential harvest.
According to the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan, in the first half of 2021, the exports volume of apricot amounted to only 8.8 thousand tons worth $ 7.7 million. In the same period last year, the republic exported 6.5 times more – 56.9 thousand tons. Considering that the season for exporting fresh apricots from Uzbekistan to foreign markets lasts three months – from May to July, the above data for the first half of the year can be attributed to two months – May-June. Thus, the exports of Uzbek apricots in May-June 2021 decreased 6.5 times in physical terms compared to the same period last year. However, there is an important note: the exports of apricots from Uzbekistan in 2020 was a record one.
Note: May-June 2021 – data by the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan, 2017 to 2019 – data by EastFruit analysts
Even without taking into account the record last year, the exports of fresh apricots in May-June 2021 decreased several times compared to the same period in previous years. For example: 5.3 times by 2019, 3.5 times – 2018, 2.2 times – 2017.
The three post-Soviet countries account for 96% of the exports of Uzbek apricot in May-June 2021:
Kazakhstan – 4.0 thousand tons (45% of the total exports volume of fresh apricots);
Russia – 3.1 thousand tons (35%)
Kyrgyzstan – 1.4 thousand tons (16%)
At the same time, 81% of the exports volume of fresh apricots was shipped to foreign markets from three regions of Uzbekistan – Fergana (47%), Tashkent (22%) and Namangan (13%) regions. Accordingly, the total share of the remaining 11 regions of the republic in the exports of fresh apricots was 19%.
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