Batken Apricots

Batken province in the far southwest grows apricots on a scale that dominates the local economy, and the fruit has a reputation across the former Soviet space: the combination of hot dry summers, mountain water and old local varieties gives a fruit that dries to an intense sweetness without sulphur treatment. In June and July the harvest fills every yard and rooftop with fruit laid out on cloths, halved and stoned, drying in the sun to the dark amber colour that marks untreated apricots, as opposed to the bright orange of sulphured fruit. Kernels are cracked and sold too. Families sell at the roadside and at the Batken bazaar. The province is remote and rarely visited, and a harvest-season visit means arranging things through local contacts.

Highlights

• Drying yards - fruit spread on cloths across yards and roofs.
• Harvest work - families halving and stoning fruit through the day.
• Roadside sellers - dried apricots and kernels sold by the bag.
• Orchard country - irrigated trees against dry hills.

When to go

June and July for the harvest and drying, which is the only time the process is visible. Outside those months the dried fruit is sold everywhere but the orchards are quiet.

What to expect

Batken is remote, with limited flights from Bishkek and long road journeys complicated by the border geography of the Ferghana valley. There is almost no tourism infrastructure and few English speakers. Farm visits need local arrangement. Summer heat in the valley is severe.

Nearby

Aygul-Tash is near Batken town; Osh lies far to the east.