Apricot harvest in northern Tajikistan plummets by up to 80% due to bad weather

Apricot growers in northern Tajikistan are facing a devastating season, with harvests plummeting by as much as 80%. Producers blame a harsh combination of unseasonably cold temperatures and heavy rainfall during the critical flowering period for the drastic reduction in yields. This unfavorable weather has damaged blossoms, leading to a significant drop in fruit production across the Sughd province, particularly in the districts of Isfara and Asht, which are vital for the region's agricultural output and dried fruit exports.

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Only about 20–25% of the usual harvest has survived this year. The weather has changed. There has been more rain, and when the trees began to flower, temperatures dropped and the buds were damaged.

Ikhtiyor Aliyev, director of Mevai Zarrin, an Isfara-based company, stated that only about 20-25% of the usual harvest has survived. "The weather has changed. There has been more rain, and when the trees began to flower, temperatures dropped and the buds were damaged," he explained, estimating a 70-80% decrease compared to normal years. This sharp decline severely impacts Isfara, Konibodom, and Asht, where apricot cultivation is the economic backbone for many farms and processing businesses.

For companies like Mevai Zarrin, which typically processes around 200 tons of fruit annually, the outlook is grim. Aliyev expects production to fall to just 60-70 tons this year. "This year there is almost no harvest," he lamented, adding that the situation is dire for local gardeners as well. The company, which produces 18-20 types of dried fruit products for domestic and international markets, now faces significantly lower output.

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This year there is almost no harvest. Gardeners are saying the same thing. It will have a major impact on our business.

Adding to the producers' woes are rising transportation costs and increased expenses for document processing, border procedures, and taxes. Shipping a truckload of goods to Russia, a key export destination, has nearly doubled in cost. Despite these challenges, entrepreneur Navrouz Azizov in Asht district noted that the region maintains strong production capacity for dried fruits under normal conditions and continues to export to Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Türkiye. However, the current apricot crop failure presents a significant setback for the industry.

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Our district has strong production capacity. Under normal conditions, we can supply almost any volume requested by buyers.