A high apricot harvest in Uzbekistan has collapsed prices in Armenia

In the Ararat region of Armenia, buying apricots from producers this year will end in a few days, but farmers will at best receive only half the income they expected, as purchase prices have fallen sharply. Due to the current situation, residents of the villages of Jrashen and Ditak blocked the Yerevan-Artashat highway in protest against the purchase prices for apricots, EastFruit experts report citing local media. “In the spring we rejoice in a rich harvest, and in the summer we are sad because there is no income again. And the campaign helped by raising the purchase price from 200 to 300 drams (from $0.52 to 0.78). Although last year the purchase of apricots started from 700 drams ($1.71), and the average price was 500 drams ($1.22). Only by the end of the harvest we were selling a kilogram for 300 drams ($0.77),” said one of the gardeners, who has been growing apricots for 30 years. At the same time, the high cost of labor involved during the harvest is also noted. The head of ...