Azerbaijan's Livestock Sector: Balancing Domestic Growth and Rising Imports

The management of the Baku Metro often announces projects for new underground lines and stations, but official information never includes data on the cost of laying a kilometer of track or building specific metro stations. Journalists sometimes obtain details from unofficial sources, raising doubts about the reliability of such information. For instance, in 2021, an unofficial government source reported a cost of 60 million manats for planned construction of a single station on the Purple Line. This figure excluded finishing works, installation of communication lines, electronics, escalators, and elevators.

The Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan began discussions on Monday regarding the draft state budget for 2025, which projects expenditures of AZN 41.368 billion.

Azerbaijan's agricultural sector faces a critical moment as modest growth in grain production fails to offset a troubling decline in productivity. Data from the State Statistics Committee shows that total grain and legume production grew by 0.7% year-on-year, reaching 3.2 million tons by November 1, 2024. However, this growth is overshadowed by a sharp 6.2% drop in yield, highlighting structural inefficiencies in the sector.

Azerbaijan has dispatched its first rail cargo shipment from Baku to China, marking a significant milestone in its ambitions to become a critical hub along the Middle Corridor. The Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) confirmed on Sunday that the inaugural "Baku-Xi'an" export block train, comprising 62 40-foot containers, has begun its journey.