What Determines Dried Apricot Pricing?

The wholesale price of dried apricot is not a fixed list; it is set for each lot by a combination of factors such as calibre (size), sulphured/unsulphured distinction, quality class, annual harvest yield, moisture content, packaging-logistics and exchange rate. For this reason, a serious supplier cannot give a firm figure without knowing the product, tonnage and delivery point — and if one is given anyway, that figure is often not realistic. Below, we explain the core factors that will help you read a price quote correctly before making a wholesale purchase.

Why Does the Price of Dried Apricot Keep Changing?

Dried apricot behaves much like an agricultural commodity. Its price changes even within a single season depending on that year’s weather conditions, the abundance of the harvest, the tug-of-war between domestic market and export demand, and fluctuations in the exchange rate. A spring frost event that reduces the harvest pushes the price up, while an abundant year pulls prices down. This is why a “current quote” is far more accurate information than any published fixed list.

Core Factors That Determine the Price

1. Calibre (Size / Number)

The single strongest factor determining the price of dried apricot is the size of the fruit. In the trade this is expressed through the “No” (number) system: as the number of fruits per kilogram decreases, the fruit gets larger and the price rises. The largest, Jumbo & No 1 (60-100 pcs/kg), sits in the highest price band; as calibre gets smaller and the count rises, the unit price gradually falls. Even product from the same orchard and the same quality is priced differently once separated into different sizes. For details of the sizing system, you can see our Malatya Dried Apricot Sizing and Size Guide.

2. Yellow Apricot or Unsulphured Sun-Dried Apricot?

Sulphured yellow apricot and unsulphured, sun-dried sun-dried apricot are two separate product groups carrying two separate pricing logics. In yellow apricot, colour and shelf life are stabilised through controlled sulphuring (SO2); in sun-dried apricot no additive is used at all, which creates a different cost structure due to the lower yield from natural drying and the more delicate storage it requires. You can find how the sulphur ratio is limited according to the export market in our Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) Ratios in Dried Apricot guide.

3. Quality Class and Visual Homogeneity

Even two lots of the same size are priced differently according to quality class. Colour homogeneity, damage rate, staining, foreign matter and size consistency determine whether the product is “Extra / 1st Class” or “Industrial” class. Homogeneous, bright and superior-quality lots selected for display and export trade at a higher price than industrial-type product destined for further processing.

4. Harvest Yield and Season (Supply–Demand)

Apricot is a single-season product harvested once a year, in the July–August period. The size of that year’s harvest sets the price level for the entire season. When events such as frost, hail or drought narrow the supply, the price rises; an abundant year settles the price. It is also normal for prices to differ at the start of the season (new crop) and at the end (as stock diminishes).

5. Moisture Content and Yield

In dried fruit, moisture is a quality measure that is reflected directly in price. A product with excessive moisture may seem cheaper because it appears “heavier”; in reality, extra moisture means paying for water and increasing the risk of mould in storage. A correct price comparison can only be made between products with a similar moisture level.

6. Packaging, Palletising and Logistics

A quote includes not only the product itself but also the process that delivers it to you. The packaging choice — 10 kg / 12.5 kg food cartons or sacks — Euro-palletising, container loading and freight, and also the delivery term (ex-warehouse or delivered) all affect the total cost. This is why, when comparing two quotes, it is essential to clarify which delivery point the price refers to.

7. Exchange Rate and Export Demand

Dried apricot is a strong export product for Türkiye; for this reason the domestic market price is in constant interaction with the EUR/USD-based demand of foreign markets. In periods when export demand strengthens and the exchange rate rises, domestic market prices also share in that competition. We cover these dynamics, which are decisive in export and chain-market supply, on our Export & Chain Markets page.

How Should a Wholesale Buyer Compare a Price Quote?

There is only one rule for a sound comparison: comparing like with like. For two quotes to be genuinely comparable, they need to be at the same calibre, the same sulphur status (sulphured/unsulphured), a similar moisture level and the same delivery term. A quote that is noticeably “cheap” compared to competitors usually points to a smaller calibre, higher moisture, product left over from the previous season, or a different delivery point. The safest approach is to request a sample before deciding, and to ask in writing for the size/moisture/delivery conditions the quote is based on.

Why a Current Quote Instead of a Fixed List?

Because each of the seven factors in this article changes day by day, a fixed price list shown to everyone at once is inevitably misleading. The figure best suited and most accurate for your needs is a quote calculated specifically for exactly the product you want. When you provide the product type, calibre, approximate tonnage and delivery point, we at Akyel Kayısı send you a firm, ex-warehouse-based quote from our Malatya Şire Market and regional supply network as quickly as possible. If you are not sure which size suits your business before a purchase, you can start by reviewing our product portfolio.