Azerbaijan's Fruit and Vegetable Exports Fall by 7.1% in Volume, 4.0% in Value from January to July 2024
Azerbaijan's Fruit and Vegetable Exports Fall by 7.1% in Volume, 4.0% in Value from January to July 2024
BAKU, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan's exports of vegetables and fruits declined by 7.1% in physical terms and 4.0% in value during the first seven months of 2024 compared to the same period last year, driven by significant drops in the export of key commodities such as potatoes, apples, and hazelnuts.
Potato exports saw the steepest decline, plunging 32.1% in volume and 33.9% in value over the period from January to July 2024, compared with the same period in 2023. Apple exports also fell by 5.7% in volume.
On the other hand, exports of persimmons provided a bright spot, surging 74.5% in volume and 88.3% in value over the same period.
Pomegranate exports, a crucial export product, saw a sharp decline of 41.1% in volume, with export revenue dropping 2.4 times. The average price for one ton of pomegranates fell by 31.3% from $1,301.7 to $893.7 in the first seven months of 2024, leading to a significant reduction in total export income.
Hazelnut exports also experienced a steep decline, dropping 31.5% in volume and 15.2% in value during the first seven months of 2024. Over the last five years, hazelnut exports have fallen by 32.8% in volume, with export revenues dropping by 24.2%, from $72.0 million in 2019 to $54.5 million in 2024.
Tomato exports showed modest growth, increasing 4.5% in volume and 12.3% in value compared to the same period last year. However, the income of tomato exporters has declined over the past four years. In the first seven months of 2020, tomato exports were valued at $166.5 million, but by the same period in 2024, the figure had fallen to $139.5 million—a $27 million decrease.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's imports of vegetables and fruits surged by 18.2% in physical terms and by 31.6% in value during the January to July 2024 period, underscoring a widening trade gap in this sector.
Economics
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Imports of milk and cream into Azerbaijan rose by 11.8% in physical terms, while imports of butter and other dairy fats surged by 64.7% in the first seven months of 2024, according to data from the State Statistics Committee. During this period, milk production increased slightly by 0.5%. However, despite this rise in domestic production, Azerbaijan imported the equivalent of 157,700 tons of milk in butter form between January and July 2024, exceeding last year’s levels.
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Azerbaijan's Cabinet of Ministers has issued a series of amendments to the "Model Regulations for Industrial Zones" initially approved in May 2015. The changes aim to enhance the management and operation of both public and private industrial zones in the country.
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Azerbaijan's wheat production has taken a downturn in 2024, despite concerted efforts to enhance self-sufficiency. According to the State Statistics Committee's report on August 15, 98.3% of the winter and spring cereal and leguminous crops (excluding corn) had been harvested by mid-August, yielding 1,680.3 thousand tons of wheat. This represents a notable decrease from 1,828.6 thousand tons produced in the same period of 2023, marking a decline of 148.3 thousand tons, or 8.1%. Agro-expert Vahid Maharramov highlights the government’s struggle to boost wheat production despite various initiatives.
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