Fruit export timing is tied directly to the harvest calendar. An exporter who waits until harvest starts to begin negotiating with a buyer usually misses part of the best selling window.
The apple harvest calendar in West Azerbaijan
West Azerbaijan, centered on Urmia, is Iran's largest apple-producing region, with more than half the country's apple crop coming from this province and East Azerbaijan combined. The harvest season typically runs from late August through November, with peak harvest in September and October. Exact timing varies by variety — early varieties are picked in late summer, while varieties like Red Delicious and Golden Delicious are typically harvested in October.
When to actually start export negotiations
The practical recommendation is to start negotiating with a buyer and coordinating paperwork — the phytosanitary certificate, cold storage capacity booking, agreeing on the Incoterm — at least four to six weeks before harvest begins. An exporter who starts this early usually gets a better price, since the market's heavy supply hasn't hit yet.
Iran's cherry calendar (general context)
Unlike apples, Iran's main cherry production is concentrated more in East Azerbaijan and Tehran, not West Azerbaijan. The cherry harvest typically runs from late April through June. If your export plan includes cherries too, the timing and sourcing region need to be planned separately from apples.
The role cold storage plays in spreading out supply
Since apple harvest happens in a limited window of the year (summer through early fall) while market demand is spread across the whole year, cold storage plays a central role. Regular cold storage allows supply for a few months after harvest, while controlled atmosphere (CA) storage extends that window to nearly a full year — a topic covered in more detail in a separate article on the difference between the two storage types.
A month-by-month summary for apple export planning
June–July: the right time to start negotiating with buyers and locking in pre-sale contracts.
August–September: early varieties start getting harvested; export documentation should be ready by this point.
September–October: peak harvest — the largest volume of loading and direct export happens here.
October–November: late varieties finish harvesting; the remaining crop goes into cold storage for longer-term supply.
December–April (the following year): supply continues from cold storage inventory, regular or CA.
Where Oriex fits in
Oriex lets buyers and sellers get introduced weeks before harvest starts, so negotiations begin early — the seller sells at the best price window, and the buyer's shipment arrives exactly in sync with the harvest season. If you're a grower or a fruit buyer, take a look at signing up on Oriex.
