Azerbaijan offers Qatar to invest in Shamkir Agropark
By Nigar Abbasova
Azerbaijan offers Qatar to invest funds in the project worth $174.56 million to be implemented in Shamkir Agropark.
The issue was on agenda of the Azerbaijan-Qatar business meeting held on May 10. In the course of the meeting investment opportunities in the agricultural sphere of Azerbaijan were presented.
For now $27.3 million has been invested in the development of logistics center in Shamkir Agropark by private investor. “Construction of the logistics center was launched in 2015 and it is scheduled to be commissioned in November 2016.”
The Qatar companies may invest funds in the logistics center for the onion and potato storage (project is estimated in the amount of $7.5 million), factories engaged in the production of food concentrates ($5.5 million), dried fruit ($3 million), jam, ketchup and tomato paste ($2.5 million), containers ($4.5 million), and creation of greenhouses. Majority of the mentioned products is currently imported from abroad. Thus imported products include 55 percent of jam, ketchup and tomato paste, 85 percent of dried fruit and 40 percent of and potato consumed in the country.
in an effort to promote investment attractiveness the government has freed park residents from taxes on income, land, and property, equipment utilized in park is free of VAT for the term of seven years.
With a total area of 604 hectares and being located in one of the exceptionally fertile soils of Azerbaijan Shamkir Agropark is the first agropark conception in the country and the Caucasus region. It is planned that equipment for the enterprises will be imported from France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Investors will be able to recover their investments approximately within a period of five years.
The project is expected to give a stimulus for the widening and strengthening export geography of Azerbaijan and presenting its products in foreign markets, getting high productivity and selling products produced by farmers with stable prices. Warehousing conditions created in Shamkir Agropark will positively influence fertility and reduce losses.
Shamkir Agropark was founded on November 15, 2014. It has modern intensive gardening facilities, factories for processing fruits and vegetables, a factory for production of canned food, a logistical center, an agro service center, a freezer warehouse, green markets and farm stores, a scientific research and laboratory center, innovation center, a hotel and other infrastructure. The Agropark has the latest and most sophisticated technology in the sphere of calibration of fruit and vegetables, packaging and labeling.
---
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz