Azerbaijan to increase volume of juice exports
By Rasana Gasimova
Azerbaijan plans to increase export volume of fruit juices and drinks, Deputy Economy Minister Rufat Mammadov said during the "Road Show Eurasia" forum organized by The International Fruit and Vegetable Juice Association, local media report.
Currently, the country exports 30 percent of fruit juices and drinks it produces.
“The production of fruit juices and drinks has always occupied an important place in Azerbaijan. In 2018, 29 million liters of fruit juices were produced in the country. This shows a significant increase compared to 2017, when production amounted to 21-22 million liters, "Mammadov said.
He added that fruit juice production accounts for 40 percent of the country’s total agricultural production.
Mammadov noted that these production volumes are aimed not only at ensuring domestic consumption, but also at increasing the country's export potential. The Deputy Minister also noted that Azerbaijani juice products are currently exported to about 50 countries.
Chairman of the board of Agricultural Procurement and Supply OJSC Leyla Mammadova stressed that African and Arab countries are the main directions of increase in exports.
While fruit and vegetable juices and bottled water continue to be major strongholds in the beverages industry in Azerbaijan, the production of alcoholic beverages continues to show double-digit growth due to great demand from local and regional markets.
The Azerbaijani market for beverages is rapidly expanding, with production of non-alcoholic beverages quadrupling since 2000. With imported beverages accounting for a small percentage of total consumption, the main competition takes place between national producers.
The world famous Azerbaijani pomegranate juice is exported to the markets of the US, EU and CIS countries. Azerbaijan is looking to attract more investments in this area.
The wide availability of water resources, ideal natural conditions for fruit and vegetable growing and commitment to product quality make this an attractive area for investment.
As for the export of other non-oil products, exports of plastic and its products totaled $103.3 million, cotton fiber - $75.7 million, chemical products - $45.6 million, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages - $15.5 million, and cotton yarn - $14.6 million.
Compared to the same period in 2018, exports of cotton fiber increased by 2.6 times, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks - 2.2 times, cotton yarn - by 47 percent, plastic and its products - by 44 percent, and chemical products - by 49 percent.
In general, in the first half of 2019, Azerbaijan’s exports amounted to $9.98 billion, which is $1.3 billion or 15 percent higher year-on-year.
In particular, non-oil exports increased by $127 million, or 15 percent, up to $979 million.
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