In news–The Ministry of Commerce and Industry through its export promotion body APEDA is in process of hand-holding of Apricot value chain stakeholders to enhance export from Ladakh under the brand ‘Ladakh Apricot’.
‘Ladakh Apricot’-
- Ladakh is the biggest apricot producer in the country nearly 62 percent share in total.
- The region produced approximately 1,999 tons of dried apricot, making it the largest producer of dried apricot in the country. The total area under apricot cultivation is 2,303 hectares in Ladakh.
- In Ladakh, it is locally known as ‘Chuli’.
- The native apricot genotypes of Ladakh possess unique and important characteristics, such as high TSS content, late and extended flowering and fruit maturity, and white seed stone phenotype, which offer opportunity for exporting to different nations worldwide.
- Ladakh Apricot is classified into two broad categories based on kernel taste and stone color.
- Fruits with bitter kernels are called khante meaning bitter, while those with sweet kernels are called nyarmo meaning sweet.
- They are further divided into two sub-groups based on seed stone color.
- Fruit with white seed stone is called Raktsey Karpo (Rakstey means seed, karpo means white), while those with brown seed stone are called Raktsey Nakpo or Nyarmo (black seeded).
About Apricot-
- Apricot, (Prunus armeniaca), fruit tree of the rose family (Rosaceae), cultivated throughout the temperate regions of the world, especially in the Mediterranean.
- Apricots are closely related to peaches, almonds, plums, and cherries .
- They are eaten fresh or cooked and are preserved by canning or drying.
- The fruit is also widely made into jam and is often used to flavour liqueurs.
- They are a good source of vitamin A and are high in natural sugar. Dried apricots are an excellent source of iron.
- In 2020, world production of apricots was 3.72 million tonnes, led by Turkey with 22% of the total (table).
- Other major producers (in descending order) were Uzbekistan, Iran, Italy, and Algeria.
Source: PIB
