Persimmon export to provide Azerbaijan with stable income
By Naila Huseynli
Persimmon is highly recognized economic value in the Azerbaijani agriculture. It is a profitable agricultural product, but the processing of this product still needs coordination and enhancement.
The new persimmon processing enterprises are intended to establish in Ganja city soon, said Gadir Yusifov, the chairman of the Azerbaijan Association of Persimmon Producers and Exporters.
“Initially, such enterprises are required for the development and expansion of export of this product abroad, which is in great demand not only in the domestic market, but also outside of the country,” he told Trend.
In general, packaging design is required to improve the level and quality of products which are supplied for export.
“In my opinion, this is an essential point, to which special attention must be paid because qualitatively designed products, firstly, arouse the interest of importers and, secondly, increase the prestige of our domestic products in foreign markets,” he said.
The persimmons are mainly grown in Azerbaijan’s regions such as Goychay, Balakan, Agjabadi and Ganja, that is why the corresponding enterprises for the production of semi-dried and dried persimmons have been established in these three regions.
“Persimmon freezing facilities are gradually being set up in Azerbaijan, which in my opinion will be of great interest to our foreign importers,” Yusifov said, adding that the income obtained from persimmon export by the end of this year may exceed last year's figures.
Azerbaijan plans to produce 200,000 tons of persimmons by the end of this year, which will slightly exceed last year's figure, according to Yusifov, who added that the revenues obtained from the export of these products in 2017 amounted to $100 million.
This is a fairly good result, believes the chairman of the association, since this amount is expected to be stable in monetary terms this year, partly due to the fact that about 90 percent of this output is shipped abroad, including Russia, Belarus, Moldova, the Baltic states, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, while 10 percent of this product is sold in the domestic market, which fully meets the needs of Azerbaijani consumers.
“In general, the export of persimmons to the mentioned countries did not exceed 180,000 tons in 2017,” he said.
Presently, Azerbaijan’s persimmons are mainly exported to Russia, Belarus, Moldova, the Baltic countries, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
Persimmon exports from Azerbaijan amounted to $90.8 million by value in 2017, 32 percent rise compared with the last year’s figures. Russia is always the key market for Azerbaijani persimmons with 102,579 tons valued at $84.8, marking 24 percent and 30 percent in volume and value terms respectively. In 2017, Russia accounted for 87 percent of persimmon exports from Azerbaijan.
Persimmon is one of the major crops in the country and it contains large amounts of glucose, fructose, organic acids, vitamin C, and other health properties that make it a natural medicine. It helps to fight weakness, anemia, vitamin deficiency, and chronic gastrointestinal diseases.
Therefore, it enhances the activity of the digestive process, regulates metabolism, as well as has a good effect on the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system.