The correspondent of Turmush decided to find out the current prices for dried apricots.
Since most local residents are engaged in agriculture and apricot cultivation, a significant amount of produce regularly appears in the markets. Prices vary from market to market, reflecting the farmers' labor. Currently, the cost of some varieties exceeds previous values and reaches 500 soms.
According to sellers, processed "kandek" costs up to 250 soms, depending on quality. Dried apricot "bargek" is priced at 350–450 soms, with the most expensive specimen sold for 410 soms. Black apricot ranges from 100 to 400 soms, with the most expensive one going for 380 soms.
Unprocessed "kandek" can be purchased for as low as 150 soms. There is also "snikers" — unprocessed "bargek," where the pit is cracked open and the kernel is added; its price reaches 400 soms. Prices for apricots change every week, and this time they have slightly increased compared to previous markets.
As noted by Batken resident Jumantai Tajibai uulu, the main buyers are intermediaries who send the products to Osh, Bishkek, and neighboring countries.
In the Batken region, apricot markets are organized in two places: at the apricot market in the city of Batken and in the village of Kara-Bak.
Note
“Bargek” is a dried apricot without a pit.
To prepare such an apricot for sale, the fruits are laid out, smoked, and covered with polyethylene for a day. After this, the apricot changes color, and then it is dried in the sun to remove moisture. The pit is removed, and the apricot is laid out again.
Drying "bargek" takes about a week.
The apricot variety "Kandak" is a dried apricot with a pit, considered one of the sweetest and oldest in Tajikistan (its name translates to "sugar"). The small fruits are dried on the tree under the sun's rays, have a natural brown or dark orange color, and are very beneficial for the cardiovascular system due to their high potassium and vitamin content.
