Turkish Dried Apricots: FCA Europe Softens While FOB Malatya Holds Firm

Turkish dried apricot prices are broadly stable on the FOB Malatya side, while some FCA European quotations edge lower, especially for smaller industrial sizes. Demand remains subdued but exports are ahead of last year, allowing Turkish sellers to defend current price ideas despite quieter spot interest. European buyers see slightly easier replacement costs on selected sizes ex-warehouse Dordrecht and Lodz, yet the main origin market is consolidating after September’s reset in sulphured grades. Weather in Malatya is dry and seasonally mild, removing immediate supply risks and shifting the focus squarely to export demand, currency moves and logistics. With Turkish exporters reporting 10,300 mt shipped in August–September and expecting stronger October flows, buyers face a steady, seller-driven market with limited downside in the short term.

Prices

FOB Malatya quotations for unsulphured dried apricots remain flat week on week, with exporters holding offers steady after the sharp downward adjustment in sulphured categories earlier in September.  Our own FCA indications in Europe show a mixed picture: premium whole fruit ex-Dordrecht is stable across sizes, while Polish FCA industrial material has softened.

Local reports from Malatya highlight that growers are still targeting firm TRY levels at origin, with industrial-quality material quoted around the equivalent of TRY 50/kg and jumbo grades up to TRY 320/kg, underlining their resistance to further price cuts despite currently subdued demand.  This stance limits the room for additional downside on export offers in the near term.

Supply & Demand

Malatya remains the dominant origin for global dried apricot supply, accounting for the bulk of world production and exports.  Export statistics for the new 2026/27 season confirm solid shipment momentum: between August and September, Turkish exporters shipped 10,300 mt of dried apricots, generating more than USD 46 million and already surpassing last year’s early-season volumes. 

Despite this stronger export flow, several market commentaries describe demand as subdued, especially from Europe, where buying remains cautious and largely hand-to-mouth.  Sellers, however, are reportedly in no hurry to discount further, supported by stable FOB Malatya prices, firm on-farm price expectations and limited pressure from weather or quality issues in the current crop. 

Weather & Crop Conditions (Malatya, TR)

Short-term weather in Malatya is benign: the next three days are forecast to be sunny or mostly sunny, with daytime highs around 19–20 °C and cool nights near 6–7 °C.  With the 2026 crop already dried and in storage, these conditions pose minimal risk to the physical product and instead support smooth processing, grading and loading operations.

Earlier in the season, temporary weather-related delays contributed to a slow start to exports, but these bottlenecks have largely eased and exporters now expect October shipments to exceed September volumes.  As a result, short-term supply to export channels is steady, reinforcing today’s sideways price structure rather than triggering fresh volatility.

Fundamentals & Trade Flows

Turkey remains the leading global exporter of dried apricots, with total export values in recent years measured in the hundreds of millions of US dollars and a strong orientation toward European destination markets.  Current shipment records show active flows to the EU, including the Netherlands and other key buyers, aligning with observed FCA price stability in Dordrecht for mainstream sizes.

At the same time, industrial demand for diced and cube cuts is more price-sensitive. Our Lodz FCA quote for no:8 TR-1123 at 4.6 EUR, down from 4.8 EUR, signals some easing in replacement costs for processing users. In contrast, FOB Malatya unsulphured whole-fruit offers around 7.9–8.3 EUR for sizes 5 to 1 remain unchanged, reflecting growers’ firm price expectations and relatively balanced origin stocks.

Trading Outlook & 3-Day Regional View

Trading outlook (next 1–2 weeks)

• Price bias is sideways to slightly soft for industrial FCA Europe positions (e.g. Lodz no:8), while FOB Malatya unsulphured and better sulphured sizes are expected to trade in a narrow range.
• End-users with Q4 coverage gaps may use current stability to layer in volumes, focusing on sulphured sizes that recently corrected but have now consolidated.
• Sellers should monitor export pace and TRY moves; any renewed currency weakness without a demand response could modestly pressure FCA warehouse prices before impacting FOB quotations.

3-day regional price indication / direction

• Malatya, TR (FOB): Unsulphured and sulphured dried apricot offers expected to remain flat over the next three days, with limited willingness from growers to concede discounts.
• Dordrecht, NL (FCA): Stable price environment across most whole-fruit sizes (0–8), with tight ranges and no immediate signal of further downside.
• Lodz, PL (FCA): Slightly softer tone for industrial no:8 TR-1123 following the recent move to 4.6 EUR; further small adjustments cannot be ruled out if demand stays weak.