Food imports fell by 8.1%

For the nine months of this year, imports of food products in Azerbaijan decreased by 8.1% to $ 711.7 million primarily due to lower supplies of grain.

In January-September 2012 the share of food products in imports was 10.5%, the State Customs Committee told Turan.

In the period, cereal imports totaled $ 173 million, which is 12% less than last year. Also fell sharply shipments of wheat flour. If in January-September last year imports of flour were $ 57.1 million - for the same period this year the figure was $ 1.1 million.

This year also decreased meat imports (-14.5%) and milk imports (-30.3%) and amounted to $ 13.1 million and $ 4.9 million respectively. 

This year Azerbaijan exported more vegetable oils than imported. For the nine months of this year, imports of vegetable oil were around $ 111 million, while exports totaled $ 144.4 million. The market operator of vegetable oils in the country is Azersun Holding, which produces the refining and packing of vegetable oils.

This company has a monopoly in the sugar market. For the nine months, the country imported sugar for a total of $ 119.7 million, which is 54.7% more than in the comparable period of 2011. - 08D-