Uzbekistan grape exports hit record high

Table grape exports from Uzbekistan reached a record 206,900 tons, worth US$173.4m, between June and November 2021, according to analytics platform EastFruit. This represents an increase of 5% in volume and 30% in value compared to the same period of last year.

EastFruit said the hike was due to the earlier start to the season, with early-ripening varieties being harvested around one week ahead of last year.

Russia was the biggest market, accounting for 75.6% of the shipment total or 156,300 tons. Between them Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus accounted for 99.6% of total exports.

“It is worth noting that the exports of Uzbek fresh table grapes to Pakistan amounted to almost 800 tons in the period under review, while there had been no such exports for at least the last five years,” EastFruit said.

The table grape export season in Uzbekistan runs from June to the end of March.