Kazakhstan has
developed a program to revive the legendary Aport apple. The country is currently
adopting national standards for the variety. The four-year project consists of
several stages. In the first one, scientists collected seeds from the Sievers
apple tree, the ancestor of all apple varieties. Next come seedlings – by 2025,
they will be planted across ten experimental hectares at a branch of the
Research Institute of Fruit and Vegetable Growing. Researchers plan to graft
the Aport variety onto these seedlings. The next step involves expanding the
orchard area to 100 hectares.
«As you know, the
Aport apple is a rather demanding variety that requires specific cultivation
and care conditions. Quality fruits can only be obtained in gardens growing at
altitudes between 450 and 1,250 meters above sea level. There are not many such
areas in the foothills of Almaty and the nearby Almaty region. Unlike other
apple varieties that start bearing fruit in four-six years, the Aport needs eight-nine
years,» said Yersaiyn Dossymbetov, head of the land reclamation department at
the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry.
It is worth noting
that last year, the Almaty Aport officially became a recognized brand of
Kazakhstan. Known for its size, rich aroma, and taste, this domestic apple
variety has garnered admiration not only in Kazakhstan but also abroad. Experts
are confident in its demand, emphasizing the need to revive Aport cultivation,
including through private breeders.
«I believe that the
Aport revival program should definitely be one of the main components of the broader
initiative to restore Almaty’s former glory as the city of apples, and the
entire Almaty region as the apple-growing hub. Moreover, our region is
recognized as the birthplace of most of the world’s cultivated apple varieties.
This can and should be used to develop apple tourist destination,» noted Azhar
Jandossova, director of the Almaly Zhumak public foundation.
