Uzbekistan’s stone fruit exports weather pandemic

Uzbekistan is emerging as a key exporter of stone fruit. As of June 1, the central Asian country had exported 11,192 tons of apricots (worth US$10.9 million), according to the State Statistics Committee. The main markets are Kazakhstan (5,984 tons), Russia (3,600 tons) and Kyrgyzstan (1,210 tons). Meanwhile, Uzbekistan has also increased its exports of sweet cherries. Between January and April 2020, the country shipped 23,500 tons (US$48 million) of the fruit to 11 countries. These results are particularly impressive given the current pandemic. The largest markets for its sweet cherries are Kazakhstan (12,400 tons), Russia (6,700 tons), and Kyrgyzstan (4,100 tons), as well as South Korea, China, Poland, UAE, Belarus, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, and Thailand.