Urgent Measures Needed to Protect the Domestic Market

The State Statistics Committee reported that meat production in Azerbaijan reached 491,400 tons in live weight from January to October 2024, a 1.2% increase compared to the same period last year. According to calculations based on these figures, meat production in live weight rose by 6,000 tons year-on-year during this period. While the committee highlights a growth in meat production during the first ten months of 2024, meat imports have also risen significantly. Based on data from the Customs Committee, meat imports increased by 38.3% in physical weight and 49.7% in value during the same period.

According to the State Statistics Committee, 139,500 tons of raw cotton were harvested in the first ten months of this year, a decrease of 17.4% compared to the same period last year. Notably, the amount of cotton harvested in the first ten months of 2023 was 168,900 tons (17.4% more than in the base year), while in the same period of 2022, it was 199,100 tons (59,600 tons more than this year’s figure). Thus, cotton harvest in the country has decreased by 29.9% over the past two years for the January-October period.

According to data provided by the State Customs Committee, our calculations indicate that in January-October 2024, the value of imported food products increased by 10.2% compared to the same period last year.

The State Statistics Committee's recently published report indicates that the total value of agricultural production in Azerbaijan for the January-October period of 2024 amounted to 11,407.1 million manat at actual prices. Of this, livestock accounted for 5,540.2 million manat, while crop products accounted for 5,866.9 million manat. The report shows that compared to the same period last year, agricultural production increased by 1.0 percent, including a 1.5 percent increase in livestock products and a 0.5 percent increase in crop products.