Baku, Azerbaijan, April 4
By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:
Azerbaijan's “Procurement and Supply of Food Products” OJSC seeks to expand the geography of export, Deputy Chairman of the OJSC Khalig Mammadov told Trend.
He said that the company plans to begin exporting food products to Arab countries, as well as to Central Asia.
"The company mainly exports the procured products to Russia, but we continue to develop new export directions. Presently, we are negotiating with the UAE, Qatar and other Arab countries. There is a need for Azerbaijani products in these countries. The problem is political conflicts in the region, which affects export. We also intend to increase exports to the countries of Central Asia. For example, Turkmenistan imported large volumes of onion from Azerbaijan in 2017. This is the success of our exporters, but, I think that such export operations should be performed more appropriately. We also consider export of Azerbaijani goods to South Korea, but here it is necessary to solve the problem of the certification of products," Mammadov said.
Mammadov noted that further development of the priority export directions depends on the need for Azerbaijani products.
"Why Azerbaijan is exporting most of its food to Russia? Because, Russia is a traditional market for us, and there is a need for Azerbaijani products in Russia. The factor of sanctions imposed on Russia also matters. To increase the demand for Azerbaijani products in other countries, we first of all need to improve the quality of our products. In addition, it is necessary to comply with the standards for packaging and packing. Compliance with these conditions will allow us to significantly expand the export geography," he said.
In 2017, the company exported food products worth 54.9 million manats.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed an order establishing the Open Joint Stock Company “Procurement and Supply of Food Products” in April 2016.
(1.7 manats = 1 USD on April 4)
