Malatya, which suffered major losses from the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, generated an income of $818,965,000 from apricots.

Ramazan Özcan, President of the Malatya Commodity Exchange, stated that apricots have a geographical indication from the European Union (EU) and that the income obtained increased along with the rise in export figures after the earthquakes. Özcan stated that out of the approximately 22 million apricot trees in Turkey, around 9 million are located in Malatya, and about 50,000 families make a living from apricots. He mentioned that apricot export figures have been continuously increasing after the earthquakes, and farmers involved in production are benefiting from this situation. “APRICOT PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE” Özcan highlighted that Malatya went through very challenging times physically during the earthquakes, stating: “Especially compared to other cities, Malatya suffered more damage in terms of commercial areas. Over 130,000 independent sections and over 17,000 businesses were damaged in the city. However, apricot businesses did not suffer significant losses, and there was no serious destruction in industrial zones. On the other hand, the retail sector incurred significant losses. If you ask ‘What is going well in the city?’, economically and sociologically, apricot played an important role. Apricot made a significant contribution to Malatya during the earthquake process.” $819 MILLION INCOME Özcan emphasized that apricots from Malatya also made significant contributions to the region, highlighting that thousands of families depend on this business for their livelihoods. Pointing out that apricots are an important export item for the region and Turkey, Özcan concluded his words as follows: “In the last 2 years, we exported 147,775 tons of apricots and obtained a total income of $818,965,000. Apricots continue to be a source of economic income and the livelihood of 50,000 families socioeconomically. When you look at Turkey’s agricultural product exports, it becomes clear once again how important apricots are as a product. Additionally, we generate income from apricot kernels. We exported a total of 7,919 tons of apricot kernels and earned $30,506,000.”