CENTRAL ASIA LINCHPINAPRICOT RESEARCH AIDS TAJIKISTAN

摘要

IN A REGION WHERE 10% of the pop-ulation lives on less than $1.25 per day, an international team led by U.S. scientists is digging into a new research project to help, advancing the science behind growing, drying, and selling apricots.The golden fruits have a long history in Tajikistan, located on the northern border of Afghanistan, a region that is rich in apricot biodiversity — and potentially where the fruit originated. While apricots are grown widely across the country, farmers in northern Tajikistan in particular have well established commercial production and drying operations. More than 80% of Tajikistan's dried apricots are exported to Russia, the world's largest importer of dried fruit.