Turkish Dried Apricots Hold Steady as New-Season Export Window Opens

Turkish dried apricot prices are broadly steady into early September, with FOB Malatya and Ankara offers consolidating after earlier summer adjustments. A strong export program and firm EU demand are preventing any meaningful downside, while limited quality concerns and hot, dry weather keep sellers confident. The market is entering the 2026/27 export window in a balanced but firm configuration. European warehouses in the Netherlands and Poland continue to trade at a visible discount to Turkish FOB levels, reflecting freight, stock rotation and competitive cross‑fruit dynamics. At origin, sulphured and natural unsulphured grades sit close to local benchmark indications of around 8–8.2 EUR/kg FOB, with only minor grade differentials and stable organic premiums. With Malatya and Ankara weather set fair over the coming days and export bookings active into the EU, buyers face a market that is more sideways than soft, with only selective room to negotiate on secondary grades.

Prices

Recent Malatya reference indicators put standard sulphured dried apricots around 8 EUR/kg FOB and natural unsulphured grades near 8.2 EUR/kg FOB, confirming a narrow premium for sun-dried product and a broadly flat week-on-week profile as of early July benchmarks that still align with current offers. EU warehouse prices for Turkish origin in key hubs such as Dordrecht (NL) and Lodz (PL) remain lower than FOB Turkey, underlining a persistent discount for ex-Europe inventory versus fresh export business.

Spot EU terminal quotations suggest a calm price environment with only low single‑digit percentage moves in recent weeks. Standard sulphured dried apricot indications around 338 TRY/kg domestically and export benchmarks at roughly 8 EUR/kg show that the main correction phase following last year’s tight crop is behind the market, with current levels now largely reflecting replacement cost and freight.

Supply & Demand

Turkey remains the dominant dried apricot supplier to the European Union, accounting for about 93% of EU dried apricot import value in 2024 (143.5 million USD out of 154.5 million USD), underscoring the central role of Malatya-origin fruit in global trade flows. Recent trade-data updates confirm active export shipments from Turkey under HS 081310 up to 1 September 2026, with named European buyers continuing to pull volume.

On the demand side, Europe’s dried-fruit market continues to rely primarily on imports, with Turkish dried products – including apricots – anchoring the supply base. Domestic Turkish price intelligence for September confirms that apricots remain a solid net-export crop with ongoing competitiveness in foreign markets. While some destination markets have seen value growth slow, the breadth of buyers across the EU and beyond is keeping export channels well filled.

Fundamentals & Weather

The 2026 Malatya apricot crop followed a severe frost year in 2025, which had sharply curtailed exports and supported earlier price firmness. For the current season, market reports point to a significantly better harvest and more normalised availability, helping to stabilise dried prices at today’s levels rather than pushing them higher.

Over the next three days (4–6 September 2026), Malatya is forecast to remain hot and dry with highs around 31–34°C and clear skies, ideal for final drying and warehouse logistics. Ankara will also see sunny, warm conditions around 29–32°C, reducing any immediate weather-related risk to storage or outbound transport. These conditions support stable quality and minimise the likelihood of sudden supply disruptions or moisture-related claims on near-term shipments.

Trading Outlook (3–5 days)

• Origin buying: For importers needing Q4 coverage, the current 8–8.2 EUR/kg FOB range for mainstream sulphured and natural grades looks fair relative to replacement and should be considered for at least partial hedging.
• EU warehouses: Buyers with flexibility may find value in FCA stocks in the Netherlands and Poland, where prices remain meaningfully below FOB Turkey, especially for mid-sizes and standard quality lots.
• Premium & organic: Expect organic and top-spec unsulphured to retain firm premiums; sellers are unlikely to concede on these categories given still-healthy demand and limited truly clean lots.

3‑Day Regional Price Direction

• FOB Malatya (sulphured & natural): Sideways to slightly firm; hot, dry weather and active EU demand argue against any near-term softening.
• FOB Ankara: Stable; closely tracking Malatya benchmarks with little independent price action expected.
• FCA EU (Netherlands hub): Mostly sideways; modest upside risk if export bookings accelerate and local stocks tighten, but current discounts to FOB should persist in the very short term.