Why Were the Program’s Targets Not Achieved and What Should Be Done?

When Ilham Aliyev told a gathering of non-oil exporters in 2017 that Azerbaijan’s wineries were operating at only 20–30 per cent of their 100m-bottle annual capacity, the message was clear: viticulture would be revived, factories would run at full tilt and exports would “increase sharply”.

In order to ensure food security in the Republic of Azerbaijan, including the organization of food wheat production, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed, in July 2022, the Decree “On a number of measures to increase the level of self-sufficiency in food wheat.” The Decree states that the potential formed in recent years in the sphere of agricultural development in the country—especially the establishment of grain farms based on the application of modern technologies, as well as the liberation from occupation of lands that had remained under occupation for many years—creates an opportunity to further increase the country’s level of self-sufficiency in food wheat.

10 important events in agriculture in 2025

According to information released by the State Customs Committee, Azerbaijan imported food products worth $2 billion 474 million 815 thousand in 2024. Compared to the previous year, the value of food imports increased by 14.5%. This marks the first time in Azerbaijan's history that the country has imported a record amount of food products. In terms of value, food imports have increased by 50.5% in the last 5 years and by 2.3 times in the last 10 years. It is also worth mentioning that food imports have increased in terms of physical weight.