Apple exports are shifting from the Middle East to Central Asia

Ukrainian apple exports are gradually changing geography: the traditional markets of the Middle East are weakening, while the role of Central Asian countries is growing.

Volodymyr Gurzhiy, head of the expert company USPA Fruit, writes about this in his article for the magazine “Sadivnystvo po-Ukrainski” (Gardening in Ukrainian).

In January 2026, about 60% of Ukrainian exports fell to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, but supplies to these markets may decrease in the future.

At the same time, alternative directions are becoming more active – Syria, Turkey, Iraq. The reason is different demand and varietal structure: “It was Golden and Red Delicious that became the main drivers of exports in January of this season,” the author notes.

The beginning of the season clearly divided producers. Those who had Royal Gala of proper quality actively exported until the New Year. Others bet on price increases later, but this decision turned out to be risky: “the resource, except for Gala, remained within the country, and the premium window for the Middle East gradually narrowed.”

As a result, the market is actually being rebuilt to the existing resource: those farms that have the necessary varieties and stable product quality win, while others are forced to look for less demanding sales markets.

Tags: export, apples