According to EastFruit, the accelerating pace of climate change in recent years has the greatest impact on the fruit and vegetable industry, resulting in multibillion-dollar losses for fruit growers and winegrowers. Naturally, farmers do not want to put up with this, so they are increasingly looking for ways to reduce climate risks, and often find them.

“Fruit growing is the most sensitive to climate change segment of agribusiness. Any deviations in temperature from the norm during the year lead to a decrease in yield or quality of fruits, and sometimes to the loss of trees and shrubs. The greatest danger for fruit growers and winegrowers in Europe, and other parts of the world, is spring frosts – in just a few hours, a frost can wipe out all efforts and deprive a grower of his annual income. Even abnormally low temperatures in winter and too high temperatures in summer can cause serious damage to farmers growing fruits, berries, grapes and nuts. Early frosts in autumn often cause significant damage, too. Studying the global experience of protection from the negative impact of weather on horticulture and viticulture, we found that the USA and New Zealand are the leaders in this segment, while a smaller percentage of farms in the EU are protected from climatic anomalies,” explains Andriy Yarmak, economist at the Investment Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The main ways to protect orchards, vineyards and berries from frost, according to EastFruit, are:

• Over-plant sprinkler irrigation (also called ice shell) is perhaps the most effective way to protect against frost, although this method, like others, has a number of serious limitations, which we will consider below.
• Under-tree sprinkler irrigation is similar to the first method, but less effective.
• Irrigation or flooding is an even less effective way to protect orchards from frost.
• Smoke is one of the most ancient frost protection methods, but is nevertheless very time-consuming, costly and limited in efficiency.
• Heating orchard is an ineffective and dangerous old method of frost protection.
• Wind machines are a versatile frost protection method that can also be used to cool the orchard during critically high summer temperatures.
• Growing under cover – obviously, this is the best way to protect against frost, but investment in it is much higher than the actual investment in the orchard or berry field itself, so we will not consider this method in this material.

Frost types and their influence on the choice of protection method

Not everyone knows that frosts are different. The bad news is that many basic defenses are almost powerless against one of the two main types of frost, advection frost.

Advective frosts are usually accompanied by rather strong winds and clouds and can persist for quite a long time, which often negates protection efforts. Cloudiness also prevents the air and soil from warming up in the daytime and leads to the absence of temperature inversion. These frosts are the most damaging to lowland orchards because cold air accumulates and is held here longer.

Accordingly, it is difficult to find a mean of protection from this type of frost. Perhaps the only relatively effective method will be over-plaant irrigation, but there are many limitations and nuances here, and most producers cannot apply this method. But more on that below.

Radiative frosts are caused by the cooling of the soil due to effective radiation and are most often observed at night in clear and calm weather. At this time, the effective radiation of the earth’s surface is high, and the turbulence is low, which makes it difficult to mix the cooling subsurface air layer with warmer, higher layers. This type of frost is quite common in the climatic zone of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It is much easier for farmers to deal with this type of frost, and the effort is usually more effective. In this case, many methods with varying degrees of success can be applied.

Important points to understand the effectiveness of frost control

A healthy orchard, berry plantation or vineyard always tolerates frosts better  than a weakened one. Therefore, frost protection starts with strict adherence to all basic agricultural practices, from planting an orchard to caring for it. The absence of diseases and pests, balanced nutrition, correct placement of the orchard, windbreaks – all elements have a direct impact on how much of the crop will be preserved when critical temperatures come.

It is necessary to remember about the reasonable selection of varieties and rootstocks when growing fruits, berries, nuts and grapes. Farmers in our region often buy seedlings in warmer countries, which either do not tolerate low temperatures in winter, or bloom too early, being affected by the waves of spring frosts.

Placing the orchard, berry field or vineyard near a large reservoir always allows to partially protect the farm from minor frosts or reduce damage from lower temperatures.

What type of frost protection should I choose? The main limitations when choosing a method of frost protection in the farm.

The efficiency of over-plant irrigation (or ice shell) is quite high. Moreover, it can be used in the case of advective frosts. In some cases, growers keep the plants safe even at -9 degrees Celsius, using this method of protection. Due to the fact that the flowers, ovary and leaves are covered with a crust of ice, the temperature inside the crust is kept at a level close to zero. This means that there is no freezing and formation of ice crystals inside plant cells, which damage leaves and plants.

Unfortunately, only a few farms will be able to use it. And that’s why:

1. The main problem is that a fruit grower or winegrower needs huge reserves of unfrozen water, which must be poured all the time as long as the air temperature remains near zero or below zero.
2. In addition, you must initially plan a much more expensive water supply system to use this method: more powerful and expensive pumps, pipes, etc.
3. A grower must have a high trellis, which is quite expensive and is used only in intensive orchards.
4. Sprinklers for this frost protection method are much more expensive than conventional ones, as plastic sprinklers will not be able to withstand low temperatures.

The same restrictions, except for a high trellis, are also relevant for under-tree sprinkler irrigation. However, this method is much less effective.

Irrigation or even flooding the orchard can help protect the orchard, mainly from short-term radiative frosts, but only at temperatures no lower than 2-3 degrees Celsius.  Even regular flooding before frost will help reduce damage by increasing humidity and temperature.

However, even here you need to have quite large reserves of water that, especially in spring, many farmers do not have. Likewise, it is better to have a powerful irrigation system in order to quickly pour out significant volume of water.

Smoke is an ancient, expensive and not the most effective method of protection. The smoke spreads through the farm, steeping the trees, and its temperature is higher than the air temperature. In addition, smoke prevents soil from giving off heat, keeping it in the orchard. Here are the main reasons why this method of frost protection can be used only in extreme cases and only in small orchards:

1. Many workers are needed, even at night;
2. Large stocks of combustible materials (usually slightly rotten straw) or of smoke pellets are needed;
3. The method is quite expensive in terms of cost;
4. Cannot be used near built-up areas, because smoke damages public health;
5. Not effective for advection frosts, because the wind blows away the smoke quickly.

The advantages of the smoke method are no special investments in equipment needed and protection can be deployed quite quickly, if you have everything you need.

Heating method, i.e. burning various types of fuel to raise the temperature, and not to generate smoke. It is completely ineffective from all points of view: costly, requiring huge labor resources, fire hazard and can even damage or completely destroy a farm or vineyard.

This method allows you to get beautiful photographs of an orchard or vineyard at night under numerous lights, but this is hardly an advantage. It is usually used by growers on the most valuable varieties of grapes, only because they use the cuttings of vines of which they have many.

Wind machines are perhaps the most affordable and universally applicable frost protection method that can be used anywhere. Moreover, wind machines can be useful for farmers and winegrowers and to reduce the air temperature in the orchard in summer. The point is in mixing the upper inversion layer of warm air with colder air in the orchard.

By combining wind machines with heat guns, the effectiveness of this method approaches that of the above-plant irrigation.

However, this method has its drawbacks:

1. It is usually not effective in advective frosts, if there are strong wind and cloudiness – cloudiness prevents the formation of an inversion layer of air, and when the wind is higher than 7-8 km/h, the wind machines are turned off for safety reasons;
2. It is better to place wind machines no closer than 120-150 meters from residential buildings. The farther they are placed, the better, since they usually work at night and create noise that can disturb local residents.
3. Another disadvantage of wind machines can be considered temporary – the demand for wind machines greatly exceeds their supply now. In the EU countries and New Zealand, most of the leading suppliers no longer accept orders until 2023, because their factories are operating at full capacity.

However, the advantages of wind machines far outweigh their disadvantages. Here they are:

1. They can be installed in any farm, berry or vineyard and do not depend on any infrastructure, in contrast to the system of above-plant irrigation;
2. Fast installation (the protection system can be installed in a matter of days), unlike the irrigation system;
3. Investment per hectare is lower compared to above-plant irrigation;
4. It can be used not only for frost protection, but also for cooling the orchard during high air temperatures in summer;
5. The possibility of using a wind machines to protect against autumn frosts and extend the season for the sale of some crops, the fruiting of which stops with the first frost;
6. Ease of system maintenance;
7. Durability – usually manufacturers claim 10 years of operation, however, wind machines can be used much longer, as practice shows.

Does the investment in frost protection systems pay off, and if so, how quickly?

We will analyze only effective frost protection measures that require investment: i.e. over-plant irrigation and wind machines.

Both types of frost protection pay off in the very first year of frosts. In other words, they will not pay off only if the grower or winegrower never encounters abnormal weather conditions during the period of use.

Why does the investment in frost protection return in the first year of frosts? Farmers who invest in frost protection equipment are in the minority. Frosts sharply reduce both production volumes and product quality. Therefore, there is a sharp decrease in the supply of high-quality fruit and berry products, which leads to a sharp increase in prices.

This means growers that have invested in frost protection systems will receive a high yield of quality products, and they can even increase income compared to a normal year without frost. As it has already happened many times with apples, blueberries, raspberries, nuts, and other fruit crops, prices often rise by 1.5 to 2 times. Thus, growers with a frost protection system can double their income in such years!

So, we need to see how often frosts occur in our region.

In most regions of Ukraine and Moldova, there were 2-3 cases of frost that caused damage to farmers over the past 5 years. In most regions of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Georgia, frosts have occurred 1-2 times over the past 5 years.

We will not manage to list here all the cases of frost in our region in recent years. In 2021, Uzbekistan suffered huge damage from frost, where a large part of the harvest of apricots and other stone fruit crops was lost. By the way, they even touched upon the problem of the local apple harvest. A similar situation was in Tajikistan, where mainly the earliest, most expensive varieties of apricot and cherry were affected, which also led to an increase in prices for dried fruits. In 2020, several waves of frosts in Ukraine destroyed a large part of the blueberry harvest, and sharply reduced the apple harvest. A similar situation arose in 2019 (for two years in a row), when the apple harvest in Ukraine was extremely low due to frost losses. Moldova harvested one of the lowest apple harvests in 2020, partly due to frosts. Both Ukraine and Moldova annually lose a huge percentage of stone fruit and berry harvest due to spring frosts.

In other words, producers installing frost protection systems will be able to repay them in Ukraine and Moldova in 1.5-2.5 years, and in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan or Georgia in 3-5 years.

Additional benefits of frost protection systems for the horticultural business

“In modern business, the quality of fruit and vegetable products and the reliability of their supplies is extremely important. Many large growers or cooperatives of fruits, nuts, berries and grapes producers have contracts for the sale of 70-80% of the expected production a year before the harvest. Accordingly, a frost protection system gives the producer additional advantages in the eyes of the buyer (supermarket chain or importer), because he knows that contracting with such a farmer has a lower risk level. Likewise, a bank lending to an agrarian will also pay attention to the grower’s desire to reduce the risk level of his business and will be inclined to offer cheaper credit resources – and this is a direct savings,” adds Andriy Yarmak, FAO economist.

One cannot discount such a factor as reputation. If a producer provides its counterparties with quality products even in difficult climatic conditions, while competitors do not succeed, his reputation in the eyes of buyers grows.

It is high time to think about reducing the risk levels of business for farmers of Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Georgia, Tajikistan and other countries of the region, annually losing tens and even hundreds of thousands of tonnes of cherries, apples, blueberries, nuts, grapes, apricots and other products. After all, it is very profitable and provides excellent long-term benefits amid growing competition in the market.

Efficient frost protection systems will be presented during the 17th international conference  “Fruits and Vegetables of Ukraine-2021. New Investment Opportunities” to be held on December 2-3, 2021 in Kyiv (Ukraine). Register to participate via the link not to miss the event.

Сообщение How to protect your orchards and vineyards from frosts? Protection methods, effectiveness, cost and availability появились сначала на EastFruit.

At the end of last week, rain and hail hit the north of Moldova. The agricultural lands of the Soldanesti region have suffered the most from the hail. Hailstones, which reached the size of a pigeon’s egg, seriously damaged tens of hectares of fruit orchards in some villages of the region.

However, experts from insurance companies argue that there are few cases of requests from farmers to conduct surveys of hail-damaged orchards and record the damage. Insurance contracts for farmland in 2021 increased by 20-40% on average, compared to the previous year, according to insurance companies. Moreover, insurance contracts for perennial plantations against spring frosts and hail constituted the main part of the new insurances.

Employees of insurance companies assume that hail has mostly damaged the small farms which do not use insurances. In addition, it was mainly the leaf apparatus that suffered from the hail, and not the fruit which in most cases is not yet formed due to the cold weather. Moreover, experts in this regard note that such mechanical damage to fruit trees, as shown by the consequences of the April 2017 snowstorm, can have a paradoxical effect: somewhat reduce the amount of harvest, but significantly increase the quality (size) of the remaining fruits.

Also, insurers claim that the damage to farms by late spring frosts is significantly lower than in 2020. These spring frosts have damaged only some apricot and peach orchards, and to an even lesser extent, cherry orchards. At the same time, the frosts practically did not affect apple and plum plantations.

Сообщение First hail damages to farms in Moldova in 2021 появились сначала на EastFruit.

Largul Holdelor farm (Grigorievka village, Causeni district, Moldova) has 10 hectares of vineyards planted several years ago with the Pergola system. The yield of table grapes on these plantations amounted to about 20 t/ha in a dry 2020. Whereas no more than 15 t/ha was harvested from classical vineyards (vertical espalier) in this farm.

This year, given the promising weather conditions at the start of the season, Largul Holdelor hopes to harvest about 35 t/ha of high-quality table grapes from Pergola-type vineyards.

There are already three small vineyards utilizing intensive vine training trellising such as Pergola and Gable systems in the Transnistrian region. Among the first, a vineyard in the village of Meleesti, district of Grigoriopol, was founded with the financial and technical support of the USAID’s Effective Agriculture of Moldova (APM) project.

According to experts, the area of vineyards utilizing ​​Pergola and Gable system in the Republic of Moldova has increased from few hectares to about 300 hectares over the past 5 years. The Pergola and Gable systems increase the yield and ensure the highest quality of table grapes (up to 90% of the yield).

This technology also makes it possible to significantly increase the efficiency of agricultural work, in particular, to carry out high-quality phytosanitary treatments during the growing season and to organize the harvesting process. However, Pergola and Gable systems require higher capital investments and frost-resistant grape varieties and irrigations systems are a must.

Сообщение Growing table grapes with Pergola technology is becoming popular in Moldova появились сначала на EastFruit.

According to the Fruit and Vegetable Union of Russia, the country’s self-sufficiency ratio for apples was around 65% last year, but the year was low-yielding due to recurrent frosts in the South. “If the weather is normal, the gross harvest in the Krasnodar Territory, the main region of apple production, will definitely increase this year. In addition, 13.1 thousand hectares of orchards that were established two years ago will begin to bear fruit. This means that the total volume of fruit production could be around 1.5 million tons,”- the director of the union Mikhail Glushkov told Agroinvestor. This is a huge volume, which can lead to oversupply on the market and lower prices, he notes.

Igor Mukhanin, President of the Russian Horticultural Association, explains that apples are the most consumed fruit in Russia, so it is worth increasing their production. “Now we produce only 50% of the amount of apples to match the level of consumption recommended by Russian doctors but if we consider the recommendations in Europe and USA, which are around 100 kg per person per year, we provide only 30%, “, “To reach the level of self-sufficiency, Russian farmers need to produce 3.3 million tons of apples.” He adds that as the market oversupply approaches, producers will start improving quality, since it is not profitable to reduce prices.

Read also: Russian greenhouse business is booming – 18% of all 5th generation greenhouses built in Russia

Over the past seven years, Russian producers have increased the production of marketable apples from 500 thousand tons to 1.2 million tons and continue to increase the volume by 250 thousand tons annually by planting 16-18 thousand hectares of intensive orchards. The Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation sets the task of planting another 60 thousand hectares of orchards within the next five years. Such an area of ​​orchards will bring the country to self-sufficiency.

According to Mukhanin, Russian producers have not only increased the gross harvest of apples, but they also improved their quality. Previously, 70% of apples in traditional orchards were grown for processing and only 30% were for the fresh market. In modern intensive orchards, 80% of apples are produced for the fresh market and only 20% for processing.

The leading regions in the production of apples in Russia are Kabardino-Balkaria, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, Tula, Tambov, Lipetsk, Volgograd Regions. The most modern and popular apple varieties in the world are now grown there. The Russian Horticultural Association believes that the varieties grown in Russia taste better than the same varieties produced in Europe due to the fact that the country’s climate is colder and fruits gain more sugar when growing.

Сообщение Apple harvest in Russia may reach 1.5 million tons in 2021 появились сначала на EastFruit.

The family farm (KH) “Manshuk” has established a hazelnut orchard in the Enbekshikazakh region. The first harvest is expected soon and the farm is preparing to expand the planted area as reported by ElDala.kz

According to the head of the farm Manshuk Zheksembekova, in 2018 they planted an intensive orchard on 10 hectares and the harvest from it is expected next year. Now, as part of the farm’s expansion, another orchard will be planted on 20 hectares. The seedling trees delivered 2 years ago are in the greenhouse and will be planted this fall.

“In our orchard we use modern technologies and drip irrigation. We have our own weather station, thanks to which we monitor the changes in weather conditions, in air temperature and in humidity. We expect to achieve an yield of 4 tons of hazelnuts per hectare, ”said Manshuk Zheksembekova.

According to the regional Department of Agriculture, this year, due to the replanting of old orchards in the Almaty region, it is planned to plant seedling trees on 520 hectares, including hazelnuts – on 20 hectares, fruit trees – on 500 hectares, of which 120 hectares are intensive orchards, It is planned to harvest 157.6 thousand tons of fruits, including 115.2 thousand tons of apples.

At the end of last year, the total area of ​​orchards in the region reached 23.7 thousand hectares, of which apple orchards – 14.2 thousand hectares. The volume of gross production of fruit, berries, and grapes amounted to 151.1 thousand tons, including 107.8 thousand tons of apples.

Сообщение Kazakhstan: areas planted with hazelnuts are being expanded in Almaty region появились сначала на EastFruit.

Instead of waiting for the announcement of official data on the damage from the February frosts to orchards and vineyards in Uzbekistan, EastFruit experts conducted a selective survey of farmers with many years of experience from different regions of the country. Particular attention was paid to the Fergana Valley because the Bukhara and Samarkand regions share two-thirds of the total production of fruits and berries for the entire country.

According to EastFruit analysts, the cultivation and sale of stone fruit crops bring the residents of Uzbekistan more than $500 million in revenue and more than $250 million in foreign exchange earnings for the country. Therefore, this industry is critical for the well-being of rural residents and the country’s economy as a whole.

Fergana Valley

Islomzhon Mamatov, a farmer from the Altyaryk district of the Fergana region, believes that subzero temperatures at the end of last month had almost no effect on the future harvest of grapes, apricots, and cherries. If there are losses, they are expected within the range of annual average statistical fluctuations.

Azizbek Khamraliev, a farmer from Kuvasay in the Fergana region who specializes in the production of grapes, peaches and cherries, said the yield losses from the February frosts are 2-3%. As for apricots, he estimates the damage from 5% to 10%. Farmers of the Andijan region estimate the maximum losses from these frosts up to 10%.

Southern Uzbekistan

In the southernmost region of Uzbekistan in the Surkhandarya region, they also hope for minimal losses despite the fact that almonds, apricots, and cherries had already blossomed there by the time the cold weather began. Due to the fact that the de facto cold weather turned out to be much milder than predicted and the air temperature did not drop below zero, the surveyed farmers do not see a serious negative impact of the temperature fluctuations on the future harvest of stone fruits and almonds.

Central Uzbekistan

The situation is completely different in the middle zone of the country. Ashur Oripov, an experienced farmer from the Bukhara region (Shafirkan district), said that by the time of frost in late February early varieties of apricots had blossomed, which is about 25-30% of all apricot trees in his orchard. He estimates the future yield losses of these early varieties to be 80-90% with frosts destroying the overwhelming majority of the crop of blossoming apricot varieties.

Fakhriddin Davronov, a farmer who runs one of the largest horticultural farms in the Samarkand region (Akdarya district), estimates the losses on early blossoming apricot varieties to be 95%. Despite the fact that cherries and peaches had not yet blossomed by the time of the frost, in his opinion, the damage to the future harvest could be up to 50% of the potential harvest. As for apples and cherries, he thinks there are practically no losses.

Interviews with farmers from the Payaryk district of the Samarkand region also believe that the vast majority of the harvest of blossoming apricot varieties is likely to be lost.

New Challenges Ahead

Farmers of the Republic did not have time to fully assess the damage from the frosts at the end of February, as nature again prepares a new test for the future harvest of fruits and grapes. By the end of this week and early next week, another cold snap is expected in Uzbekistan, which will be further aggravated by strong winds.

It is predicted that from Sunday to Tuesday, the air temperature at night in the Fergana Valley will drop below zero to minus two degrees Celsius. In Tashkent and the central regions of Uzbekistan, it is expected up to minus six at wind speeds of up to 12-15 meters per second.

The weather forecast for Bukhara is even more threatening at minus 5 degrees at night with wind speeds reaching 18-19 meters per second.

The worst tests await the residents of Samarkand where, according to preliminary forecasts, the temperature at night may drop to minus 10, which, even without wind, would threaten the loss of the crop. With strong winds, the actual temperature can become significantly lower.

In Surkhandarya, the southernmost region of Uzbekistan, the air temperature will barely drop below zero, but the winds will be the strongest up to 30 meters per second. This can destroy a significant part of the ovary even without frost.

It remains to be hoped as in the previous time, that the reality will be more lenient compared to the weather forecast.

EastFruit will closely follow the development of events and promptly inform about the impact of such sudden changes in air temperatures on the harvest of the current year.

Today, the largest online conference about apricots in the region is being held. Although the conference is called “Apricot Business in Tajikistan,” 95% of all the issues discussed will be relevant for Uzbekistan and other countries of Central Asia.

Сообщение Uzbekistan: early apricots and cherries lost in central region, new frosts may increase damage появились сначала на EastFruit.

EastFruit specialists have been bringing attention to the current serious threat to future fruit harvests from the cold cyclone hitting Central Asia. Many growers and farmers in Uzbekistan are using traditional ways to protect orchards from sudden changes in temperature on budding or flowering trees. They prepare a mixture of manure and hay, place such heaps throughout the orchard, and set them on fire. The resulting thick smoke envelops the orchard and thus helps to protect trees from sub-zero temperatures.

Local resident Gulnora Abdunazarova-Seitmaganbetova posted the video below on her Facebook page showing another method of warming fruit trees in intensive orchards during a period of unexpected frosts in Uzbekistan. The video shows an intensive orchard in the Yukorichirchik district of the Tashkent region (Farm Eco Agro Product) with peach trees on which the first buds have already appeared.

The farmer placed 1,250 buckets mixed with a ratio of 30% ash + 70% diesel fuel (diesel oil) per bucket across 10 hectares. The buckets are located approximately 8 to 10 meters apart on opposite sides of the row spacing.

Read also: Bonfires in orchards – farmers of Tajikistan save the harvest

The mixture burns throughout the night, but you have to add new portions to the mixture every 3-4 hours so the work of maintaining the fire and heat goes on all night. 12 people were involved in this agricultural rescue work.

The outcome will be noticeable in 3 days. If the buds do not turn black, then the efforts were not in vain and the orchard and the future harvest are saved.

EastFruit will continue to closely monitor developments in the countries of Central Asia and promptly inform about all changes.

Сообщение Saving peach orchards – how to warm fruit trees in Uzbekistan (video) появились сначала на EastFruit.

Tajikistan, with Korean specialists’ help, plans to expand the area of ​​pistachio plantations. Director of the Forestry Agency under the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan Abdujabbor Yusufzoda told about this at a press conference, reports Avesta.Tj.

According to Yusufzoda, currently, there are over 81,500 hectares of pistachio plantations on the republic’s territory. To update and expand them, negotiations are underway with foreign partners, including the Republic of Korea.

This work aims to create tree nurseries for growing pistachio trees and expand the area of ​​pistachio plantations. Within the framework of this cooperation, it is planned to create 30 hectares of new pistachio plantations.

See also: Nut business: 2020 market summary for walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios and other nuts

The Forestry Agency also reported that the republic is studying and introducing the practice of growing Turkish and Iranian varieties of pistachios.

The cost of one kilogram of pistachios in Tajikistan markets ranges from 60 to 140 somoni ($5.37 – 12.52).

You can watch the video “Pistachio Growing Technology in California” on our YouTube channel.

Сообщение 30 hectares of pistachio orchards to be planted in Tajikistan появились сначала на EastFruit.

According to the Agency for Interventions and Payments in Agriculture (AIPA), a little less than 1,500 hectares of new orchards were planted in Moldova last year, which is about 60% less than the corresponding figure for 2019, which was more than 3,300 hectares.

The area of ​​planting new apple orchards in 2020 compared to the previous two years has hardly changed, but much less apricot, plum, and cherry orchards were planted. The largest decline was in walnut crops. In 2019 almost 1,200 hectares for walnuts were laid but in 2020 only 163 hectares.

Read also: Moldova’s gross harvest of potatoes and vegetables lower than forecasted for 2020

The agency’s specialists explained the sharp drop in the rate of planting new perennial orchards in Moldova was due to several unfavourable factors in 2020. The first and, apparently, the main one is the drought, which lasted for 2-3 years in some areas of the southern and central areas of the country. In such weather and climatic conditions, a significant number of farmers decided to postpone the process of planting new orchards and vineyards for a year or two.

Another reason is from COVID-19 pandemic restrictions which also contributed to farmers holding back on renewals of perennials. At the beginning of last year, supplies of planting material were delayed from some EU countries to Moldova. Also, horticultural enterprises faced difficulties in hiring labour.

Сообщение Pandemic and drought sank new orchard development in Moldova last year появились сначала на EastFruit.

After the holidays, the inflated pre-New Year’s prices for fruits in Tajikistan dropped and are now hitting record lows. This applies primarily to locally produced pears. In Tajik markets, for example, a pear of the Dilafruz variety can be purchased at a price of 3.5-5 somonis ($0.30-0.44). Thus, pears have become equal in price to apples even though traditionally in Tajikistan they were always more expensive.

Experienced farmer Fayzullo Dilshodov explained to EastFruit about the reasons for the decline in prices for some fruits: “There are many factors that influenced the decline in prices for apples and pears. The first factors are a pandemic, a decrease in the population’s earnings, and a decrease in its purchasing power, but I will not focus on these in detail.

“The second reason is, in my opinion, an increase in the area of ​​orchards and vineyards, including, strange as it may seem, intensive orchards. I want to focus on this factor in more detail, although I emphasize these are my personal opinions, which may be erroneous.”

According to the farmer, 75-80% of Tajikistan’s population is employed in the agricultural sector. The previously existing areas of orchards and vineyards fully met the needs of the inhabitants of Tajikistan for fruits and grapes, and part of the products was supplied for processing at canneries. The expansion of the area of ​​orchards and vineyards, including intensive ones, was intended to increase the export potential of the industry. This, however, with the exception of apricots, did not happen. The exports of apples, pears, pomegranate, quince, peach, cherry, and prunes remain at low levels. At the same time, their production is increasing and the products are supplied to the local market. It is oversaturated and prices naturally fall.

Read also: Horticulture of Tajikistan 2020: superfoods, disappointments, and price peaks

Fayzullo Dilshodov feels certain that it is necessary to improve logistics and, thanks to this, increase fruit and vegetable exports. In this case, it is necessary to look for new relevant markets. Traditionally, Tajik fruits and grapes were exported mainly to Russia and Kazakhstan. Currently, consumers from China, Europe, and the Middle East are showing great interest in ecologically clean and high-quality fruits. “This means we have to work towards meeting their growing demand for our products. Here, of course, we need government assistance in creating logistics centres and providing various benefits as well as organizing and holding various exhibitions, including online, in order to attract potential buyers,” believes Mr Dilshodov.

Yet, he suggests there is a problem with the required volumes. “Also, now Tajik farmers grow their products on small farms and, as a rule, a trader has to collect the volume of products necessary for export from several, or even from a dozen farmers. I think the time has come for farmers to form cooperatives. This will allow us to engage in agricultural production more professionally,” concludes Fayzullo Dilshodov.

Сообщение Why are prices falling for local fruits in Tajikistan? появились сначала на EastFruit.