APRICOT OFFER: INTERNATIONAL SITUATION AND PROSPECTS

The geographic area mainly concearned with this culture is Europe, and the Mediterranean countries in general. Out of the Mediterranean area this culture is of a certain importance in the United States, in USSR, and in some countries of the southern hemisphere (South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Cile).

The world leadership belongs to Europe with it's production of 728 metric tons, that is, 40% of the total offern 1986.

74% of it is produced in the EEC countries and the major producers are Italy, Spain, France and Greece producting 99% of the whole production.

A very small contribution for what concerns quantity is given by Portugal and west Germany.

The E.E.C. production has recently shown a positive trend, due, especially to the events which have characterized this culture in Italy and in Greece.

Almost 2/3 of the world production is concentrated in the mediterranean area.

More in particular, considering the whole world hean values of the cast five years the contribution of the major producers is the following: turkey 13%, USSR 10%, Italy 9,7%, Greece 9%, Spain 8,2%, France and Usa 5%.

This list is considerably different from the one refering to the period 1972–1976 when the major producer was Spain followed by Turkey (9,7%) and by Usa (9,4%).

Beside the coast countries of the Mediterranean area and USSR a good position is occupied by USA Although in the 20 years a reduction of cultivated soil has decreased the production of about 50%.

This process has interested especially California, the major apricot producing state; here the reduction concearned the least productive soil often subject to more or less violent parasite attacks.

Anyhow, the introduction of more productive cultivars and the improvement of cultivation techniques, have kept under control the decrease of production. Only two cultivars are grown in California:

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