Azerbaijan, once the leader of the Soviet Union on the quality of silkworm cocoons, will buy 1.6 million saplings of mulberry from China, the Ministry of Agriculture stated with reference to the Deputy Minister Ilham Guliyev, who met with the delegation of the Department of Agriculture of China's Jiangsu province. From China and Iran Azerbaijan imported eggs of this insect that were matured and distributed free of charge to cocoon producers.
Recall, according to the Ministry of Agriculture in 1960-70-ies the country annually produced about 7,800 tons of raw silk. After the collapse of the USSR the industry came to desolation, as evidenced by the numbers - 57 tons produced in 2000, 10 tons in 2014 and only 236 kg in 2015. The reason is that the Sheki silk factory is idle and the raw material producer is not interested in the business; the price of 1 kg of cocoon was at AZN 3 until this year and increased to AZN 8 in 2016.
There is another difficulty - the majority of mulberry plantations are destroyed, and now to revive the volume we should wait up to 4 years - the time of the first harvest.
Experts believe the industry can still be competitive and provide the employment of up to 20 thousand people, including purveyors. The more so, growing a single party of cocoon takes about 40 days. --17D-
Economics
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Azerbaijan's economy demonstrated robust growth from January to November 2024, with gross domestic product (GDP) rising by 4.7% compared to the same period last year, according to government data. By September, GDP had reached 92.83 billion manats (approximately $54.7 billion USD), reflecting significant progress in diversifying beyond oil and gas, a longstanding focus of economic policy.
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A recent report by the World Bank titled “Breaking Barriers for Women’s Employment in Azerbaijan” sheds light on the significant gender imbalance in the country’s labor market. While both men and women participate actively in the labor force, disparities in employment rates, job quality, and societal attitudes highlight the challenges women continue to face.
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Azerbaijan's consumer price index rose by 4.4% in November 2024 compared to the same month in 2023, driven by higher costs for food, beverages, and services, government data showed on Tuesday.
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Kazakhstan has unveiled plans to develop five major cross-border trade and transport hubs to enhance connectivity and boost economic ties with neighboring countries, Trade and Integration Minister Arman Shakkaliev said on Monday during a government meeting.
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