Meat is getting more expensive. What's the matter?

Baku/23.08.23/Turan: In recen t days, Azerbaijani citizens have felt tightness in their wallets, as the price of the main food product - beef - has increased markedly - by 1-2 manats per kilogram. This price increase has made many think about the underlying factors, prompting a close study of the country's meat industry and its complex network of imports and domestic production.

According to the data recently published by the State Customs Committee (SCC), the influx of meat to Azerbaijan was very significant. Only during the period from January to July of this year, the country received an impressive amount of 24.3 thousand tons of meat. The monetary cost of this significant meat import was a staggering $46.9 million. Comparing this with the same period last year, we note a noticeable increase: 23.5 thousand tons of meat worth $ 39.8 million crossed the country's borders.

These figures seem to reflect the general trend of rising prices in Azerbaijan, covering not only meat, but also its imports. This is a twofold surge caused by an increase in imports of live animals intended for slaughter and meat products obtained from them.

Over the past seven months, $51.22 million worth of animals destined for the slaughterhouse have been imported into the country. Comparing this with the same time frame of last year, there is a striking contrast, indicating an astounding increase in imports by 74.1% compared with imports recorded at that time in the amount of $ 29.42 million.

Naturally, questions arise about why the cost of meat reaches such heights and what other essential products can follow their example within this upward trajectory. In an effort to shed light on these disturbing problems, Vahid Maharramli, a well-known expert on agriculture, recently appeared on stage in the program "A Difficult Question".

Maharramli, whose experience is widely recognized, delved into the root causes of this trend. According to him, the demand for meat remains largely unsatisfied due to domestic production. Quoting reputable organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), he revealed a sobering fact: the recommended annual consumption of meat per person is about 78 kilograms. To meet this indicator, Azerbaijan would need to produce a staggering 780 thousand tons of meat per year. However, the reality is strikingly different: production in the country has barely exceeded half - about 350 thousand tons. Even this already modest figure, says Magerramli, is somewhat overstated. Part of this meat comes from the import of live animals intended for slaughter, which are then issued for domestic production.

The main obstacle hindering the development of animal husbandry in Azerbaijan, according to Maharramli, is the fragile fodder base. He argues that the limiting factor is the insufficient production in the country of essential animal feed, such as clover, alfalfa, legumes and annual grasses, in addition to basic foodstuffs such as corn for silage and green fodder. In concrete figures, the volume of production of high-quality feed in Azerbaijan is only 100 thousand tons. This pales in comparison to the whopping 2.5 million tons needed to meet the country's feed needs and, consequently, stimulate significant growth in livestock production.