Helios Identified Key Temperature Threats to 2024 Turkish Apricot Crop
At a glance: Helios helped its customers spot a disruption in Turkish apricots in November 2023, five months before the media reported about it and market prices went up by 60%.
What happened?
Fresh apricots are pricier due to their delicate harvesting requirements. Frosts from late November 2023 to March 2024, with temperatures dropping to 19℉, damaged the crop. By June 2024, export volume fell to 62,500 metric tons, a 22.5% decrease from 76,600 metric tons in 2023. Consequently, the price of Turkish apricots rose from $2.50 per kilogram in 2023 to about $4.00 per kilogram in 2024, marking a 60% increase and resulting in lower yields.
How Helios Helped
Unexpected frost-like temperatures threatened flowering apricot trees from late November to early spring. Helios detected this anomaly five months prior to media reports, allowing users to secure alternative suppliers before a 60% price surge. Users were also warned about heavy storms in December and April 2023, which increased precipitation and negatively impacted plant pollination, leading to lower quality and volume of the 2024 apricot harvest.
Example of what users were able to see on the Helios platform - the red indicates “high risk” due to the unseasonably cold weather and surprise frosts.
Example of the large jumps in the cumulative precipitation due to heavy storms - the red in the risk bar in the bottom indicator “high risk” periods.
