Malatya, which suffered significant damage from the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, earned a revenue of $818,965,000 from apricots.

Ramazan Özcan, President of Malatya Commodity Exchange, stated that apricots have a geographical indication registration in the European Union (EU) and that the revenue increased along with the rise in export figures after the earthquakes. Özcan pointed out that out of the approximately 22 million apricot trees in Turkey, around 9 million are located in Malatya, where about 50,000 families make their living from apricots. He mentioned that apricot export figures have continuously increased after the earthquakes, making farmers involved in production happy. “APRICOTS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE” Özcan stated that Malatya went through very tough times physically during the earthquakes, especially in comparison to other cities in terms of commercial districts. More than 130,000 independent sections and over 17,000 business establishments in the city sustained damage. However, apricot businesses did not suffer significant losses, and industrial zones did not experience severe destruction. On the other hand, the retail sector incurred major losses. When asked what is doing well in the city, in economic and sociological aspects, apricots have played an important role. During the earthquake process, apricots made a significant contribution to Malatya.” $819 MILLION IN REVENUE Özcan emphasized that Malatya apricots also make substantial contributions to the region, with thousands of families depending on this industry for their livelihoods. He highlighted that apricots are a significant export item for the region and Turkey. “In the last 2 years, we exported 147,775 tons of apricots and earned a total revenue of $818,965,000. Apricots continue to be a source of economic income and the livelihood of 50,000 families from a sociological perspective. When looking at Turkey’s agricultural exports, the importance of apricots as a product is once again evident. Additionally, we generate income from apricot kernels. We exported a total of 7,919 tons of apricot kernels and earned $30,506,000.”