EastFruit analysts note a considerable relative increase in exports of raisins (dried grapes) from Uzbekistan to Japan in 2021. Exports of Uzbek raisins to Japan increased by 140% by the end of the year, but the export volume remained modest – 27 tonnes.

Nevertheless, since Japan is one of the most demanding countries in terms of product quality and safety and it rarely increases the volume of purchases from a single country, the trend of supply growth itself is a very important indicator. In addition to raisins, Uzbekistan exported 6 tonnes of dried apricots to Japan (in 2020 – 5 tonnes) and 2 tonnes of plums (in 2020 -22 tonnes).

Of the fresh fruits, only one small batch of 2 tonnes of fresh melons from Uzbekistan was delivered to Japan. Before that, Uzbek melons were not available on the Japanese market, meaning that this can be considered a breakthrough, unless the importer had no complaints about the first trial batch.

Uzbekistan is one of the world’s largest exporters of dried fruits. In terms of raisin exports, the country is periodically among the Top-5 exporting countries, but the volume of raisin exports from Uzbekistan fluctuates from year to year. The largest volume of export of Uzbek raisins was recorded in 2017 and amounted to 78 000 tonnes. The leader of the global raisin market is Turkey, exporting up to 280 000 tonnes. Iran is the second in the export of raisins, the United States are the third. Other major exporters of dried grapes include South Africa, Chile, Afghanistan and Argentina.

Сообщение Uzbekistan doubled exports of raisins to Japan in 2021 and delivered the first trial batch of melons появились сначала на EastFruit.

This year has brought many surprises to Tajik farmers. EastFruit analysts interviewed Tajik producers, exporters and other participants in the produce business, based on which they identified the TOP-10 events of 2021 that affected the Tajik fruit and vegetable sector.

We also note that over 1.1 million people have visited the EastFruit platform in 2021. Therefore, we used statistics on the most readable fruit and vegetable materials of 2021 on our portal to determine the top events.

1. Spring frosts and low yield of apricots and early cherries

2021 was extremely difficult for Tajik apricot and cherry growers in terms of the impact of weather on the harvest. Unfortunately, this happens every 5-6 years. And with climate change, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent.

Two waves of frost – at the end of February and in the first half of March, during the blooming of stone fruits, caused irreparable damage to the harvest of apricots and early cherries. Frosts even harmed vegetables and potatoes in some regions. It is not surprising that our news about the possible loss of cherry and apricot harvest in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan was one of the most read and cited.

Farmers tried to save the harvest by lighting bonfires in the orchards. Also, many farmers became interested in effective frost protection systems this year, and we have prepared a detailed analysis of how they can protect the harvest of fruits and berries from a sharp drop in temperatures available at this link.

Some stone fruit producers in Tajikistan said shortly after the frost that 90-95% of the harvest of cherries and apricots would be lost. Weather disasters resulted into a decrease in stone fruit production. Consequently, the supply on the Tajik market was very limited. Average prices for apricots and cherries in 2021 exceeded last year’s prices by 50% average or more, which also directly affected the segment of dried apricots (you can see how apricots are harvested and dried in Tajikistan here). Many apricot processing enterprises also sharply reduced their processing volumes due to lack of raw materials, and some were idle.

As a result, many plans for the exports of apricots and dried fruits were not implemented, and the contracts were not fulfilled. Prices for dried fruits in the region have largely increased.

It is interesting to note that our material on the importance of dried apricots for Tajikistan published two years ago remained very relevant in 2021.

As for apricots and dried fruits, our project held a unique online conference “Apricot business in Tajikistan: Fresh apricot, dried apricots, dried fruits, organic” in 2021. It helped to look at this traditional business for the country from the point of view of global market trends and gathered a large audience. You can watch the recording of the conference at this link. 

2. Growth in fruit and vegetable exports

According to the Message of the President of Tajikistan to the Parliament, more than 200 thousand tonnes of fruits and vegetables were exported in 2021, which is 70 thousand tonnes more than in 2020.

This became possible due to an increase in the gross harvest and yield, and a gradual but constant increase in the area of ​​orchards and vineyards. The area of ​​orchards and vineyards in Tajikistan has been increasing over the past ten years. New, more productive varieties and cultivation technologies have been introduced, the area of ​​greenhouses and intensive orchards is growing. All this contributes to the growth of production volumes that put pressure on domestic prices and force market participants to look for export opportunities.

In part, the growth in export volumes was influenced by the difficult situation in Kyrgyzstan. Previously, a lot of fruits and vegetables were exported to the EAEU countries across this border without being reflected in customs reporting. Probably not only exports increased this year, but export data became clearer, as well.

Nonetheless, fruit and vegetable exports from Tajikistan could have been higher if frosts had not led to a decrease in the harvest of apricot and cherry. The crisis in Afghanistan in August-October also affected exports, when the government changed and the income level of Afghan population sharply decreased. At the same time, Afghanistan accounted for a large volume of exports of table grapes and lemons from Tajikistan during this period.

According to EastFruit, Russia and Kazakhstan imported twice as many fruits and vegetables from Tajikistan worth $28.6 million in the first 10 months of 2021. The exports of table grapes (340%), cherries (650%), peaches (220%), dried apricots (150%) and watermelon (130% ) increased the most. Of course, the clearance of exports  becomes obvious here. Onions remained the main export commodity, with 85 thousand tonnes having been exported to Russia and Kazakhstan, which is 25% more than last year.

3. Record high prices for lemons at the beginning of the year

Due to the high demand for “antiviral” fruits, their prices increased sharply in early 2021. In particular, lemon prices shot up 3 times at the beginning of the year, and traders made good money on people fearing COVID-19. In fairness, we are glad to note that the prices for lemons in December 2021 remain almost as high as at the beginning of the year – now retail lemons are sold at 15-18 TJS/kg ($1.3-1.6/kg).

The “antiviral properties of lemons”, a low harvest and late start of imports of mandarins from Pakistan, which are considered the cheapest citrus in autumn-winter in Tajikistan, contributed to high prices for lemons. Mandarins in Tajikistan are also considered very healthy for immunity and compete with lemons in the local market. 

4. Record high carrot prices

The year was very successful for those who grew and harvested carrots. According to growers, there have not been such high prices for carrots for at least 10-15 years. Of course, it was unrealistic to expect such a rise in prices and no one could have assumed that they would reach such a high level.

The retail price of carrots was 5 times higher than usual and reached 10 TJS ($0.88/kg). Even those who sowed carrots in March sold them with super-profit in May and June 2021. And this is after several unsuccessful years, when many procurers of carrots bought them cheap during harvesting to resale later at a higher price and went bankrupt.

In this regard, we would like to remind you that storage in the fruit and vegetable sector is not a separate business, but an integral part of growing and selling fruit and vegetables subject to long-term storage. Read more about typical mistakes in planning the infrastructure of the produce market (wholesale markets, storage facilities, distribution centers, etc.) here.

The main reason for the rise in carrot prices to incredibly high levels in Tajikistan and in the vast majority of other countries in the region in 2021, especially from April to July, was the catastrophic shortage of carrots in Russia.

Wholesale prices for quality carrots in Russia exceeded $1/kg in July 2021, and social media erupted with jokes and memes about the cosmic prices of this usually affordable vegetable.

5. Collapse of prices for bell peppers. Price anomalies

Tajikistan experienced an unexpected collapse in the price of bell peppers at the end of September 2021. 11.5 kg of bell peppers can be bought for $1! Naturally, such low prices do not cover the expenses of Tajik farmers for growing these vegetables.

By the way, the drop in the price of bell pepper in Tajikistan happens every year, since growers harvest the entire crop by October and try to sell it quickly. Moreover, bell peppers of all vegetable growers in Tajikistan ripen at the same time. But there has never been such a large drop in their prices in Tajikistan.

Among the reasons are the lack of a cold chain, investment in extending the season and, most importantly, of investment in the development of pepper exports. After all, bell pepper is one of the fastest growing positions in vegetable exports, and the demand for it in Russia, where Tajikistan may well supply its products, was high during this period. We wrote in more detail about this issue, as well as the opportunities it brings, here.

6. Niche breakthrough and value-added opportunities in Tajikistan’s horticultural sector

It is gratifying to see that our efforts to expand job creation and value-added opportunities in Tajikistan’s horticultural sector are bearing fruit. There have been serious shifts in the adaptation of new approaches to the fruit and vegetable business in Tajikistan in 2021.

As part of the project to support the region’s fruit and vegetable trade, implemented jointly by the FAO and EBRD, we held the first online investment conference “Tajikistan’s fruit and vegetable sector – the best investment niches. Where and how is it more profitable to invest?” that aroused genuine interest in new investment niches in the fruit and vegetable business of the country. The recording of the conference available at this link is still watched by many people.

Among other things, the cultivation of saffron in Tajikistan was discussed at the conference. This year, the country has already had the first harvest of saffron. This news caused a real stir in Tajikistan.

Another new undertaking is the construction and launch of a greenhouse for the production of strawberries with low-volume hydroponics. In addition, 6 modern promising varieties of frigo strawberry seedlings were imported from Italy. The project was implemented based on the information provided at the conference.

Thanks to this, dozens of farmers in Tajikistan started working with high-quality planting material, and the country has an opportunity to replace local outdated varieties with modern ones, better in terms of yield, appearance, size and quality of fruits, transportability and, most importantly, taste. This speaks of the prospect of export growth, as Tajikistan could grow greenhouse berries all year round!

The purchase price for strawberries from retail chains in Tajikistan exceeded $15/kg in November-December 2021, which once again proves the investment attractiveness of this business segment. At the same time, the price of strawberries in this period in Tajikistan was higher than in other countries monitored.

Also, a very resonant event was the import and retail sale of blueberries in Tajikistan’s supermarkets – the most expensive berry that can be grown in the country, both for the domestic market and for profitable export. We expect the first blueberry plantations to soon appear in Tajikistan, as we believe it is one of the most promising investment niches in Central Asia.

7. Unprofitable apple growing

Markets in Tajikistan were oversaturated with apples of many varieties since the peak apple harvest in September till December 2021, and farmers complained about record low prices. Despite there being a lot of apples, farmers sold mainly low-quality ones that could not be stored long. In the wholesale trade, apple prices still start from $0.3-0.4/kg.

Notably, farmers in Ukraine and Moldova have long been selling apples of much higher quality at the same and even lower prices, which allows them to earn good money.

Therefore, the complaints of farmers in Tajikistan about the unprofitability of growing apples and low prices are primarily due to an inefficient cultivation. We covered this in the article “Why are Tajik farmers disappointed with intensive apple orchards? ” and analyzed the reasons in the article “Top 10 problems for intensive apple orchards in Central Asia”.

A solution to the problem would be to train Tajik apple growers in orchards in other countries such as Poland, Ukraine or even Moldova. There are also very successful apple projects in Georgia. However, the fact remains – investors are disappointed by the apple orchards and the pace of their establishment has sharply decreased in 2021.

Prices for quality apples in Tajikistan are the same as in Russia, or even higher. Russia, by the way, remains the world’s No. 1 apple importer. Therefore, those who learn how to grow high-quality modern apple varieties in Tajikistan and store them at least until January-February will earn much more than farmers of Ukraine, Moldova or even Russia. The reason is that besides a good climate, Tajikistan has one more important advantage – cheap labor.

8. Onion prices are falling and planted areas are increasing

Onion production in Tajikistan is growing every year, and farmers’ incomes are falling rapidly. In 2021, they reached a critical point, after which reducing the area for the harvest in 2022 is quite possible.

The issue of low prices in Tajikistan and a decrease in exports during the period of peak ripening of onions in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, followed by a slowdown in exports, repeats every year. The price of onions in Tajikistan has dropped to an incredible $0.04/kg in 2021, and some traders have already tried to buy onions in bulk even at $0.03/kg.

Notably, just at a time when Tajik farmers can decide to cut onion prices, export opportunities can significantly improve. Onion prices in Russia and Ukraine have skyrocketed this season. Therefore, there may be good opportunities for exporting onions to these countries from Tajikistan in spring.

9. The first plant for deep freezing of fruits and berries opened

Another interesting investment niche that we mentioned at the investment conference was taken in Tajikistan in 2021. In fact, EastFruit experts have been calling deep freezing of berries, fruits and vegetables one of the most attractive investment niches in Central Asia for many years and informing local investors about this.

As a result, Uzbekistan began to dramatically increase the export of frozen vegetables and fruits in 2021. Finally, the first enterprise for shock freezing of fruits and berries was opened in Tajikistan.

At the end of 2021, Harif LLC completed the construction and commissioning of the first freezing plant, capable of processing up to 15 tonnes of berries, fruits or vegetables per day by static freezing. The enterprise was established in the north of Tajikistan, near the city of Khujand. In spring 2022, the plant will start freezing strawberries, raspberries, cherries and apricots. However, since everything can be frozen, the possibilities of freezing other fruit and vegetable raw materials, such as plums, peaches, melons, rose hips, vegetables and even wild plants, will be considered.

In the future, the enterprise may give an impetus to the cultivation of other fruit and vegetables that are valuable for the global market but were not previously grown in Tajikistan. It is another great way to boost a country’s export earnings.

10. New modern onion drying line

The Khujand Agro company installed a new modern line for industrial drying of onions in February 2021 in Tajikistan. The equipment for the line was imported from the EU, Russia, China and India.

The new processing line is capable of drying up to 30 tonnes of onions per day, which is a great support for vegetable growers in Tajikistan suffering from periodic collapses in onion prices. The segment can become very profitable given the low prices for raw materials in the country and can also bring good additional export earnings to Tajikistan, ensuring the sustainability of the vegetable business.

If you think we missed something important, please let us know in the comments!

Сообщение TOP-10 events in the produce business of Tajikistan in 2021 появились сначала на EastFruit.

President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon received the heads of the CSTO and SCO member states on the premises of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan.

On the premises, an exhibition of agricultural products and national dishes of Tajikistan was organized. Various agricultural products were displayed in a special style on each alley.

Dozens of types of Tajik fresh fruits were presented: grapes, stone fruits,  high-quality dried fruits, nuts and almonds, raisins, pistachios and citrus fruits.

The heads of state and other honorary guests got acquainted with the wide opportunities and resources of Tajikistan in the production of fruits, vegetables and dried fruits, as well as traditional dishes.

EastFruit invites you to admire a great presentation!

*Photo from the official website of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan

Сообщение Impressive and beautiful presentation of fruits in Tajikistan (photo) появились сначала на EastFruit.

According to the EastFruit Central Asian team, quite unexpected and dramatic changes in the fruit market have begun to take place in the region. The thousand-year-old traditions of high consumption of dried fruits in the region began to give way to new trends. The younger generation prefers fresh fruit even in the off-season, which leads to price anomalies. Primarily, it is noticeable in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

For example, spring frosts this year led to the loss of a significant part of apricots for drying, but this had little effect on their prices. Bakhtiyor Abduvokhidov, international consultant at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), believes that the reason is a decrease in demand for dried fruits, primarily in the domestic market.

There are several reasons for it. First of all, new varieties and technologies for growing fruits emerge that can significantly extend the season of their fresh sale. This means that fresh fruits are available.

The second important factor is an increase in the level of income of the population, which allows them to pay more for fruit. This, in turn, justifies investments in new technologies for their cultivation and the introduction of new varieties.

The third factor is the dynamic development of modern technologies for storing fresh fruit. Fruit storage facilities with controlled atmosphere (RGS) and their variations, such as ULO, CA, DCA, etc., are not new to Central Asia. These technologies, in turn, allow preserving quality of table grapes, apples and other fruits almost throughout the year. The same fruits that are not subject to long-term storage can be stored for several weeks. A good example is cherries, which, in the case of hydrocooling and modified atmosphere bags (MAP) bags, can be stored in the fruit storage for up to two months without losing quality!

Another important point is the health benefits of consuming fresh fruit. This became especially noticeable with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, when sales of some fruits, especially those high in vitamin C, skyrocketed. It has calmed down since then, but health-conscious consumers still prefer fresh fruit.

The fifth factor is the liberalization of international trade, which allows to reduce price fluctuations and increase the supply of fresh fruits in the markets of all countries of the region. Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are good examples. There has been almost no trade between these countries for many years. However, it has been actively developing in recent years. This year, for example, Tajikistan, which suffered much less frost damage than Uzbekistan, is actively supplying fresh stone fruits and berries to the neighboring country.

Does this mean that the traditional drying of apricot, which we showed in the video “Dried apricots – how are they grown, harvested, dried and sold in Tajikistan ” is becoming a thing of the past? This is most likely the case. However, this does not mean that dried fruit is unnecessary. The global trade in dried fruits tends to decline, but high-quality products will always be in great demand.

Сообщение Dried fruits lose their leading position to fresh fruit market in Central Asia появились сначала на EastFruit.

With the assistance of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in the city of Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), a batch of dried fruits and nuts (almonds, walnuts, raisins and apricot kernels), fig jam and honey was delivered from Uzbekistan to Malaysia, Dunyo news agency reported.

The exporter of the goods is the Uzbek Golden Prime Food LLC, and the importer is the Malaysian trading company Deli Fruits Trading.

Due to the lack of direct flights between Uzbekistan and Malaysia because of the coronavirus pandemic, the cargo was delivered to Kuala Lumpur via a new transport corridor – through Turkey.

According to Nazatul Shima, the manager of Deli Fruits Trading, the received batch of Uzbek products will be sold in the retail chains of Kuala Lumpur and the Malaysian state of Johor. The shipment of the next batch of Uzbek fruits and vegetables is scheduled in May. She also noted that the quality of products imported from Uzbekistan satisfies the growing interest of buyers in Malaysia.

The Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan continues active work to promote the products of Uzbek enterprises in the Malaysian market.

Сообщение Uzbek dried fruits and nuts delivered to Malaysia появились сначала на EastFruit.

EastFruit analysts draw attention to the erroneous statements that China became one of the top 3 importers of Uzbek fruit and vegetables in January 2021. Moreover, the experts claim that the exports of Uzbek fruit and vegetables to China fell sharply in January 2021!

Apparently, the Uzbek officials decided not to go into detail, and included HS groups 07 and 08 in the “fruit and vegetables”, which is fundamentally wrong. This category includes dried legumes that, in market analysis, are classified under the category “grains and pulses”. This is due to the specifics of their cultivation, storage and trade.

Unlike fruit and vegetable products, these crops, represented in Uzbekistan mainly by mung bean, are grown on large areas, their production can be completely mechanized, they do not belong to perishable products and are stored for a long time without the need of cold storage. They are transported in bulk, and as a rule, are traded by same traders who trade in grains. So, under all aspects of production, storage, logistics, and marketing these crops are fundamentally different from fruit and vegetables.

It turns out that it is mung beans and other dry legumes that are the main categories of Uzbekistan’s exports to China. Moreover, exports in this category have indeed increased but it has nothing to do with vegetables and fruit.

And what about the supplies of Uzbek vegetables and fruits to China in January 2021? The situation is not all roses. First of all, Uzbekistan did not export any vegetables to China, in other words, vegetable shipments were zero in January. Secondly, Uzbekistan did not export fresh fruits to China either. Thirdly, the export of Uzbek dried fruits, the only category that was exported to China under the fruit and vegetables in January 2021, fell sharply compared to the same month in 2020 and was even much lower than in January 2019. So, we have a clear downward trend in exports of fruit and vegetable products from China in January 2021 instead of the announced increase in supplies!

In January 2021, Uzbekistan exported 320 tons of raisins to China, compared to 1145 tons in January 2020 and 3659 tons in January 2019. It turns out that just in two years, the supply of this category of goods fell 11 times! Uzbekistan exported 40 tons of dried apricot in January 2021 against 102 tons a year earlier. And here again the fall is more than twofold.

Revenues from exports to China are also modest – Uzbek exporters received $ 210,000 for raisins, and $ 35,000 for dried apricots. But for mung beans and legumes, in fact, about $ 12 million were received, according to Chinese statistics, which is close to the indicators of the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan, although less.

Thus, there is a downward trend in the exports of vegetables and fruits to China. By the way, China has already published trade data for February 2021, and there are still no imports of fresh fruit and vegetables from Uzbekistan at all. And there are still less Uzbek dried fruits imported to China than in January-February 2020.

Сообщение Why are the statements on high exports of fruit and vegetables from Uzbekistan to China wrong? появились сначала на EastFruit.

Caucasus Organic Fruits LLC, a Georgian fruit processing company, has received a large supply order from the Netherlands for dried persimmon throughout the year according to the marketing manager of the company Salome Alania. She also noted that today dried persimmons are the top export sales for the company as well as dried apples, plums, kiwi, and tomatoes. Also, popular are fruit organic teas and fruit powders.

Caucasus Organic Fruits opened in October 2018 in the village of Natakhtari of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region in Eastern Georgia. The company received support from both German and Georgian investments and the state’s United Agricultural Project. Since 2019, it has switched to regular production. The enterprise has implemented the FSSC 22000 standard. The company buys raw materials for production from local farmers as permanent partners, while in the future it plans to equip its own plantations. Today, the enterprise processes about 1.6 tons of raw materials every day. The finished products do not contain any additives. In retail packages, Caucasus Organic Fruits products are presented under the Magritto brand, wholesale deliveries are carried out on different terms.

“The export demand for Caucasus Organic Fruits products continues to remain high amid the COVID-19 pandemic. I cannot say that we are unhappy with the way things are going. Currently, about 70% of the company’s products are exported, mainly dried fruits. The main export markets are now the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Russia. At the same time, we continue to work on the development of new export markets,” said Salome Alania.

She continued to say that this year the company plans to enter the markets of the Persian Gulf countries. “In February, we participated in the international exhibition GulFood 2021 in Dubai. Now, we are negotiating with potential buyers with whom we have established contacts there,” said Ms Alania.

In parallel with exports, the company continues to work on strengthening its presence in the Georgian market. Currently, Caucasus Organic Fruits directly cooperates with the Europroduct supermarket chain in Georgia where Magritto packages of dried apple and persimmon rings are presented. It also cooperates with Agro Food Trade, which supplies the company’s dried fruits to the supermarket chains Agrohub, Carrefour, Universami, and Fresco.

As for the Caucasus Organic Fruits powders and fruit organic teas, their main consumer both in Georgia and abroad is now the B2B sector.

“This year the company launched production of fruit and vegetable powders, which are used as ingredients in the B2B sector; the demand for these products is initially good. Now, this line includes powders from lemons, oranges, apples, and kiwis. We are currently working on the start of the production of powders from broccoli, pumpkins, beets and other vegetables. The assortment of fruit organic teas, the raw material for which are wild berries and fruits collected in specially selected areas of woodlands, depends on the orders of customers.”

Salome Alania states that taking into account its growth in sales, the company also plans to strengthen the production capacity of its enterprise in the near future.

Сообщение Georgian company Caucasus Organic Fruits to supply dried persimmons to the Netherlands появились сначала на EastFruit.

Over the past five years, the exports of dried fruits from Georgia reached their pinnacle in 2020. More than 600 tons of dried fruits were exported last year, which earned the country up to $2 million. When comparing the data from 2020 to 2019, exports increased by 46% in quantity and 58% in value.

Source: geostat.ge

In 2020, 48% of Georgia’s dried fruit exports went to Germany followed by Russia (20%) and China (13%). Germany has been the largest market for dried fruits from Georgia over the past five years. In 2016-2020, supplies to the Russian market were also stable. Last year, China took third place in dried fruit exports from Georgia for the first time where up to 82 tons of dried fruits were exported. In previous years, China’s share of dried fruit exports was insignificant.

The number of trading partners has increased significantly over the past five years as well. Georgian dried fruits were exported only to 11 countries in 2016, but by 2020, the number of countries increased to 24. Last year, Japan was added to the number of new markets, but Germany and Russia remain the main markets.

Source: geostat.ge

Up until 2020, dried apples were exported from Georgia in the largest quantities, but last year dried fruits under the commodity code “other dried fruits” (not including prunes, apples, and apricots), bypassed apples. Out of 609 tons of dried fruits, 313 tons belonged to this commodity group and only 287 tons belonged to dried apples. Besides traditional dried apples and prunes, Georgia produces dried persimmons, which are important for exports. Georgian companies have also started to produce dried watermelons, melons, kiwis, and berries, which are interesting for export markets and less targeted by local consumers.

What was the reason for the increase in dried fruit exports from Georgia in 2020?

Georgian farmers had a good harvest of apples, plums, and persimmons last year. This is reflected in the export figures as well. Exports of fruits such as apples and persimmons have increased – persimmon exports increased by 38% and Georgia also exported a record number of apples. A place with a good harvest means the processing of fruits, including in the form of dried fruits, and their exports naturally increased.

In addition to a good harvest in 2020, dried fruit companies have reached specific agreements with exporters and entered new markets. The reason for this development was the introduction of new food safety standards in enterprises, which is often a prerequisite for exports. Gemuani, which is located in western Georgia, produces up to 30 different freeze-dried dried fruits and received an International Food Standard (IFS) certificate in 2019, after which interest in their products increased in export markets.

Read also: Gemuani: New packaging and export growth for its freeze-dried products from Georgia

In 2020, the company acquired an important trading partner like Nestle. Gemuani has become a supplier of raw materials for the Russian branch of Nestle since last year. The company did not disclose the details of the agreement, but, in 2020, 120 tons of dried fruits were exported from Georgia to Russia, which is 33% more than in previous years.

Another company that acquired new trading partners in 2020 and increased exports is Kareli Fruits, which is located in Shida Kartli. In addition to the traditional dried apples and plums, the company also produces dried watermelons and melons. Since 2020, Kareli Fruit has introduced a new food safety standard and has migrated from ISO 22000 to a new version of FSSC 22000 standard, which provides for stricter food safety measures. According to the director of Kareli Fruits Anano Bezhanishvili, the introduction of the new standard was necessary in order for their products to become more in demand in export markets. As a result, Japan became interested in their dried fruits from watermelon and melon, which are less popular in the local market. In total, the company exported about 30% of total production in 2020, while in 2019 the share of exports was about 5% of production.

Сообщение Dried fruits from Georgia entered new markets in 2020 появились сначала на EastFruit.

Farmers of the Sughd region in Tajikistan exported 17,300 tons of dried fruits in 2020, which is almost 3,000 tons more than last year. In monetary terms, the exports of dried fruits amounted to $7 million, which is $1.72 million more than in the previous year, as reported by the Sughd Regional Department of the Customs Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan.

According to the Department’s data, the region exported dried fruits to 14 countries near and far abroad.

The largest consumer of dried fruits from the Sughd region was Kazakhstan, which imported 5,700 tons of these products. Farmers also exported more than 5,100 tons to Iraq and more than 4,600 tons to Russia. The top importers of Sughd dried fruits were Germany (1,200 tons), Turkey (950 tons), Ukraine (666 tons), and Belarus (570 tons). Even neighbouring Uzbekistan imported 300 tons of various dried fruits from the Sughd region of Tajikistan.

In monetary terms, Russia spent a considerable amount of money in the region on dried fruits at $4.1 million, followed by Kazakhstan at $950,000, Iraq at $724,000, Belarus at $488,000, and Ukraine at $216,000.

Read also: Exports increased for lemons, dried apricots, onions, and grapes from Tajikistan’s Sughd region in 2020

Buyers from the United States and Western Europe purchased expensive, high-quality dried fruits, mainly dried apricots. The United States purchased more than 23 tons of various dried fruits at $2,650 per ton. The Czech Republic purchased 3.7 tons of dried fruits at $2,566 per ton, Israel purchased 8.5 tons of dried fruits at $2,127 per ton, and Latvia purchased 19.6 tons of dried fruits at $1,198 per ton. Poland bought 174 tons of dried fruits at $875 per ton.

Several countries bought cheaper dried fruits: China at $120 per ton, Iraq at $142 per ton, Kazakhstan at $165 per ton, and Turkey at $172 per ton.

The Sughd region mainly exports dried apricots and is the leading exporter of dried fruits in Tajikistan. In 2020, Sughd farmers exported 11,100 tons of dried apricots, which is 3,000 tons more than in 2019. In total, the value of dried apricot exports was $4.6 million, which is $1.3 million higher than in the previous year.

Other dried fruits exported by the Sughd region were plums, apples, peaches, pears, and a mixture of dried fruits. The exports of these products, except for the dried fruit mixture, was less than in 2019 both in quantitative and monetary terms.

Сообщение Dried fruit exports from Tajikistan’s Sughd region reached $7 million in 2020 появились сначала на EastFruit.

According to the National Statistics Office of Georgia, in 2020 the volume of exports of fruits and nuts, or group 8 according to NTN VED, equalled $171.76 million.

The share of fruits and nuts in Georgia’s total exports worth $3342.14 million was 5.1%. The top exported goods in the group were hazelnuts ($91.09 million), mandarins ($21.74 million), peaches, including nectarines ($21.45 million), persimmons ($5.68 million), apples ($5.10 million), blueberries, and other Vaccinium berries ($3.82 million), oranges ($2.62 million), bananas ($2.54 million), lemons ($1.96 million), plums ($1.80 million), figs ($1.29 million), and walnuts ($1.13 million). The top exported product among dried fruits was dried apples ($0.61 million).

Compared to the previous year, fruit exports increased by 41.0%.

In 2019, the value of exported fruits and nuts was $121.83 million. Their share in Georgian exports’ total volume for the same period ($3798.45 million) was 3.2%. The main exported goods were hazelnuts ($63.34 million), mandarines ($18.42 million), peaches, including nectarines ($12.48 million), bananas ($5.36 million), apples ($4.59 million), persimmons ($4.20 million), oranges ($1.51 million), pistachios ($1.45 million), and walnuts ($1.36 million).

The export value of dried apples was $0.46 million.

The export of vegetables (group 7 according to NTN VED) in 2020 amounted to $10.32 million. The share of vegetables in the total exports of Georgia for the same period was 0.3%. The most exported goods in the group were tomatoes ($2.13 million), potatoes ($1.07 million), eggplants ($0.90 million), mushrooms of the Agaricus family ($0.82 million), and cucumbers ($0.79 million).

The exports of vegetables in comparison with the previous year decreased by 10.6%.

In 2019, Georgia exported vegetables worth $11.54 million. The share of vegetables in the total exports’ volume was 0.30%. The top exports crops were tomatoes ($2.29 million), mushrooms of the Agaricus family ($1.12 million), cucumbers ($1.11 million), potatoes ($0.98 million), eggplants ($0.73 million), and garlic ($0.60 million).

Сообщение Georgian exports of fruits up 41%, vegetables down 11% in 2020 появились сначала на EastFruit.