Vineyards in Gakh Almost Gone

Azerbaijan completes the vintage, one of the most profitable crops. Due to the high yield this year, grapes in the market are much cheaper than last year – 0.50 - 1.50 manat per 1 kg.

According to the State Statistics Committee, as of October 1, 111.7 thousand tons of technical and table grapes was picked, which is 6.1% more than in the comparable period of 2014. In the past year because of the summer drought, the average yield of grapes dropped from 88.9 quintals (2013) to 82.5 quintals per hectare. At the same time, according to estimates SSC, over the past 15 years, the average grape yield in the country increased by 2.3 times.

It should be noted that in 2014 the area under vines in Azerbaijan decreased by 211 hectares (1.3%). In the Gakh region 377 hectares of vineyards dropped by 366 hectares (saplings were cut down). Whereas in 2012 the vineyards in Azerbaijan occupied 16,327 hectares, last year this figure fell to 15,904 hectares.

In 2014, 533.1 tons of grapes were imported. Azerbaijani winegrowers exported 71.3 tons less than before. A kilo of imported (Iran) grapes was declared at the Azerbaijani customs at $ 0.31. Export is issued at a price twice as expensive - $ 0.75 per 1 kg.

In the first nine months of this year, wineries produced 663.3 thousand deciliters of wine, which is 15.7% less than in the same period in 2014. As of October 1, there was 747.1 thousand deciliters of wine kept.

According to the customs, in the first half of this year there were exported 153.7 thousand liters of wine. It generated a profit of $ 5 million 374 thousand. -08B-