BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 12
By Fakhri Vakilov - Trend:
Uzbekistan has lost its spot to China among the top three world leaders in terms of persimmon exports, according to the statistics of 2018, Trend reports referring to EastFruit information-analytical platform for all participants in the fruit and vegetable market of Central Asia, the Caucasus and Eastern Europe.
In total, over the year, persimmon exports from Uzbekistan amounted to 55,000 tons, which is 18,000 tons less than in 2017. Despite the fact that China also reduced the volume of persimmon exports, but it was still able to bypass Uzbekistan in the rating.
Almost all Uzbek persimmons were supplied to the markets of Kazakhstan and Russia. Significantly smaller volumes were also exported to Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan.
According to trade sources, significant volumes of persimmon of Uzbek origin, supplied to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, were then re-exported to the Russian market.
A significant increase in persimmon shipments from Uzbekistan to Belarus and Ukraine is worth noting as well.
Exports to Belarus more than tripled, reaching 763 tons, and doubled to Ukraine - up to 593 tons. A trial batch of Uzbek persimmons was also send to the UAE market.
The leaders of world export of persimmons remained Spain and Azerbaijan, which exported 168,300 tons and 150,900 tons of these fruits, respectively in 2018.
Furthermore, persimmon exports from Spain fell sharply compared to 2017, while exports from Azerbaijan, in turn, increased significantly. Presumably, part of the export volume of Azerbaijani persimmons accounted for re-export of fruits from other countries.
International trade in persimmons is about 600,000-700,000 tons annually in the amount of $500-$600 million.
Russia is the largest global importer by a huge margin from others. This country annually imports more than 160,000 tons of persimmons for $130 million.
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