BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. Expanding agricultural exports should be defined as a strategic goal, Azerbaijan's Deputy Minister of Economy Azer Bayramov said at the Agribusiness Development Forum, Trend reports.
According to him, taking into account our limited land and water resources, a more professional approach to agriculture should be purposefully implemented, and farmers' access to certified seeds, modern irrigation systems, quality veterinary and other agrotechnical services, and financial and insurance tools should be increased.
He noted that in accordance with the new state program planned for implementation in the agricultural sector, state support should serve to intensify production and ultimately increase processing.
"Expanding the insurance coverage of the risk portfolio of the agricultural insurance system creates conditions for farmers to sustainably use state support. At the same time, supporting the supply chain can systematically solve the problems of scale and market access of small producers. We believe that another priority direction is to deepen the value chain.
Production is not the ultimate goal. The main direction that creates added value is the processing process. We believe that deepening the processing of products such as meat, milk, fruits, vegetables, grapes, and the formation of cluster-based production-processing chains can directly contribute to employment, export revenues, and the development of our regions.
While expanding cold storage and grain elevator networks and improving milk collection infrastructure are important components of this work, the placement of that infrastructure must be planned in accordance with the geography of production, logistics routes, and prospective export channels," the official explained.
According to Bayramov, agroparks should focus more on becoming export-oriented agribusiness centers rather than import-substituting ones.
"Agroparks should be formed as institutions that collect products from small producers, provide centralized quality and certification infrastructure, and attract international investors and technology partners.
In this context, the introduction of the private operator model and joint financing mechanisms can reduce the burden on the state budget, while ensuring commercial efficiency. Another important direction is to increase export competitiveness. Azerbaijan should set a strategic goal to expand both the geography and product range of agricultural exports.
One of the most important steps in this direction, in our opinion, is the implementation of a sanitary and phytosanitary strategy. We need to form an infrastructure of accredited laboratories, phytosanitary control, and international certification in advance, without waiting for the signing of trade agreements with target markets.
We believe that a specific product marketing strategy should be developed for each of the European Union, Gulf countries, China, and Southeast Asian markets.
Trade missions, participation in international exhibitions, and the establishment of trading houses are operational components of this work, while strategically building the "Made in Azerbaijan" brand on proven products such as pomegranates, hazelnuts, and wine increases the potential for creating a long-term export value chain," he said.
The deputy minister added that the new mechanisms envisaged for subsidizing export transportation tariffs from the state budget could accelerate the access of agricultural and processed products to distant markets.
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